A Myanmar official has admitted that the government underestimated the impact the crisis in Rakhine State has had on the country’s economy. Speaking at an investor forum in Singapore, U Aung Naing Oo, director general of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), said that Myanmar’s international reputation has been badly affected by the situation. “Now you can see that FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] in Myanmar is heading down, it is declining,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters, adding that he was confident that the government could help boost the economy. Aung Naing Oo also said the trial of two detained Reuters journalists had attracted negative headlines for the country. Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo were sentenced to seven years in jail earlier this month, in a trial that was condemned internationally for being politically motivated. “Not only the international community but also some of the local communities are not happy with the decision, so therefore that will have some impact on our reputation,” Aung Naing Oo told Reuters at the forum.