News in Brief (6-09-2018)

Fears for journalism in

Suu Kyi's Myanmar

Yangon (Myanmar) Sept 5: The decision to sentence two Reuters reporters to seven years in prison for violating a state secrets act has sent shockwaves through the journalism community in Myanmar, the BBC's Nick Beake writes. For the journalists of Yangon this is personal. Many were close friends of the jailed Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. And many now feel one false move and they could be joining them in the notorious Insein prison here in Myanmar's former capital. "Insane" is how the jail is pronounced and for many in the press, it reflects a chaotic legal farce which has played out over the past nine months. One that's culminated in two young journalists being found to have been useful to "enemies of the state" and handed a seven year prison sentence. — BBC

UN admits failing to educate Koreans

on Yemeni refugee crisis

SEOUL (South Korea), Sept 5: More than 500 Yemenis have applied for refugee status on South Korea's Jeju island. The arrival of these Yemenis influx has caused provoked debate over how the country handles refugees, including an online backlash as well as petition for the government to take action as well as protests in Jeju and the capital Seoul. This also prompted the government to remove Yemen from the list of countries whose citizens are allowed visa-free entry to Jeju and a tweak in its refugee policy. A strong anti-refugee sentiment has also been seen in South Korea, driven largely by Islamophobia, that analysts say is caused mostly by ignorance among the population and the prevalence of fake news stories that is being spread. Al Jazeera spoke to Heinn Shin, Korea spokesperson for the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR), about the causes of xenophobia, the government's role in calming fears and rooting out fake news and why the agency is not at the forefront of helping these refugees. — Al Jazeera

Lost childhood: Thoughts of revenge

grip Boko Haram victims

YOLA (Nigeria), Sept 5: The field is wide and scorching under dry midday heat. Dozens of children kick up the sand underneath their sandals. Their shrieks echo as they roll their heads back in carefree laughter. They're playing, but not with toys or balls. They are playing a game called "Boko Haram versus soja (soldier)". They scamper around screaming, "shoot!", ramming their fingers into each other's bodies. Their pointed fingertips are supposed to be the barrels of rifles or blade of swords. They are pretending to kill each other. Some "die", falling over like felled trees. One child collapses with his hand pressed over his heart as imaginary blood gushes out. A tall boy jumps over the "dead" body and runs into another with a yellow t-shirt, who aims straight for his head. "Boom!" the boy shouts, a gunshot. This is playtime at a private primary school organised by a local NGO called Education Must Continue Initiative (EMCI) in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state in northeastern Nigeria. All of the children are now displaced after fleeing their home communities to escape from Boko Haram. — Al Jazeera