Reuters says Myanmar held its journalists for probing execution of Rohingya Muslims

Two Reuters journalists detained for two months by Myanmar authorities were arrested over their investigation of the execution of 10 Rohingya men, the news agency said in a report that detailed the killings.

It is the first time Reuters has publicly confirmed what Myanmar nationals Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were working on when they were arrested on December 12 on the outskirts of Yangon.

The pair are facing up to 14 years in prison on charges of possessing classified documents in violation of the colonial-era Official Secrets Act.

Their plight has sparked global concern about withering press freedom in Myanmar and government efforts to curb reporting in northern Rakhine state – a crisis-hit region where troops are accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled the area since August, carrying stories of alleged atrocities at the hands of troops and vigilante groups in the Buddhist-majority country.