Giving Compass' Take:

• Two Reuters journalists were arrested and sent to prison in Myanmar for seven years after reporting information about the mass killing of Rohingya Muslims. 

• The United Nations is calling for the release of these journalists and for the authorities to pursue the Cheif generals responsible for the killings. However, where is the support from Aung San Su Kyi, Myanmar's de-facto leader, and known human rights activist?

• Read recommendations about what donors can do to address the genocide of the Rohingya. 

Two journalists in Myanmar have been jailed for seven years after being found guilty of breaking the Official Secrets Act while reporting on the mass killing of Rohingya Muslims.  Reuters journalists Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, are both Myanmar nationals and were sentenced on Monday by a court in the country.

Their sentencing comes just over a year after horrific violence against the Rohingya people prompted hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes for neighbouring Bangladesh.

In just a few months, more than 723,000 Rohingya left their homes, while 25,000 people were killed and thousands more were raped, maimed, and injured, and whole communities were destroyed.

The international community has condemned both the violence — which was described by the UN as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” — and the authorities' reported lack of effort in bringing those responsible for the violence to justice.

The two journalists were arrested in December just moments after reportedly being given official documents by police at a restaurant. While they say they are innocent and that they were framed, judge Ye Lwin said during sentencing that they were in possession of “confidential documents” that were “not public information” and would have been useful “to enemies of the state and terrorist organisations.”

The case has ramped up already existing criticism of the country’s de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in her handling of the Rohingya crisis.

Wa Lone told reporters: “We know what we did. We know we did nothing wrong. I have no fear, I believe in justice, democracy, and freedom.”  Kyaw Soe Oo added: “What I want to say to the government is: you can put us in jail, but do not close the eyes and ears of the people.”

Read the full article about reporting on the Rohingya massacres by Imogen Calderwood at Global Citizen