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The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today condemned the killing of investigative journalist Soe Moe Tun in Myanmar on 13 December.

“I condemn the murder of Soe Moe Tun,” said the Director-General. “Investigative journalists like Soe Moe Tun contribute to good governance and sustainable development. I therefore welcome the authorities’ launch of an investigation into this crime and trust that those responsible for it will be brought to trial.”

Soe Moe Tun was found dead on 13 December in the city of Monywa in central Myanmar. He was a reporter for local newspaper Daily Eleven.

The Director-General of UNESCO issues statements on the killing of media workers in line with Resolution 29 adopted by UNESCO Member States at the Organization’s General Conference of 1997, entitled “Condemnation of Violence against Journalists.” These statements are posted on a dedicated webpage, .

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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 42 12

UNESCO is the United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this the Organization is requested to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”