Dozens of protesters held a demonstration in downtown Yangon on Sunday, calling for the release of jailed Reuters journalists Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo and for the public’s right to information. Participants began by chanting slogans such as “Release Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo immediately” and “The public’s right to information is our cause”. Protesters also released black balloons with images of the two journalists on them and impassioned speeches were given regarding the importance of free speech. Poet Maung Saungkha also conducted a short performance, which aimed to highlight the difficulties faced by journalists operating in the country. Earlier this month, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were sentenced to seven years in prison for handling confidential government documents. At the time of their arrest, in December last year, they were investigating the government’s crackdown in Rakhine State, and the trial and sentence were internationally condemned.