myanmar accuse reuters reporters wa lone 31 kyaw soe oo 27 breach country official secrets act little-used hangover colonial rule sam zarifi secretary general international commission jurists icj say law ensnare work journalists time two reporters arrest tuesday even invite meet police officer dinner north yangon ministry information say illegally acquire information intention share foreign media publish photo pair handcuff stand behind table document lay law date back 1923 myanmar know burma province british india time british administrators worry rival power could seek exploit anti-colonial unrest south asian empire act amend early anti-spying legislation controversial india even time accord history publish 2009 unite service institution india new delhi-based think tank british military officer push strong law concern increase bolshevik activity along geopolitical threats include possibility racial war japan usa affect india history say official secrets act cover trespass prohibit areas handle document deem secret communicate foreign agents carry maximum penalty 14 years prison zarifi geneva-based icj human right group make 60 senior international judge lawyers legal academics say definition official secret act incredibly broad anyone possession unpublished government document could find face prosecution harsh penalties conviction may carry zarifi say law many good journalists could prosecute time india law also remain statute book court rule even apply parliamentary paper budget proposals leak present legislature legal experts say prosecutions act rare myanmar recent decades military junta rule 2011 frequently use laws penal code also inherit colonial era lock critics alongside common criminals sprawl code draft 1860 give magistrates 500 section charge allege offenders 1990 military court sentence two leaders opposition national league democracy nld 10 years prison official secrets act pass official letter foreign embassies prosecution part broad crackdown follow election nld junta ignore free 1992 amnesty accord new york time report time report least two case bring act record online archive asian human right commission 2009 2010. first case involve man jail trespass military land record video footage allegedly send abroad help farmer file land grab complaint military second concern former army officer jail 2010 allegedly secret information laptop pass foreign news agencies well-documented recent case involve official secrets act come january 2014 yangon-based weekly unity journal publish front page article say expose secret chemical weapons factory run military central myanmar police arrest newspaper ceo four journalists involve publish story raid offices attempt seize copy edition newsstands civilian court pakkoku near allege factory sentence july 2014 10 years prison hard labor late reduce seven years case widely see domestic media warn military affairs remain off-limits even though direct military rule end unity five release amnesty april 2016 soon nld lead nobel laureate aung san suu kyi come power follow election 2015. unity journal subsequently close reuters unable reach government legal officials weekend monday public holiday request detail past case official secrets act use little know allegations two reuters journalists police say arrest possess important secret government document relate rakhine state security force charge section official secrets act two policemen also investigate case accord police section cover enter prohibit place take image handle secret official document might intend directly indirectly useful enemy human right watch 2016 say section define offence spy extremely broadly military establishment involve section statute effectively place burden defendant prove guilty group say may 2016 month suu kyi take power 1975 state protection act use keep house arrest years repeal emergency provision act introduce 1950 frequently use activists military seize power 1962 coup sweep away october year official secrets act laws 1908 unlawful associations act use jail journalists activists remain force reuters unable reach suu kyi spokesman seek comment suu kyi use official secrets act detain two reuters journalists explainer myanmar wield colonial-era law reuters journalists