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Heading For A Record Length Shutdown, As President Trump Visits The Border; Appeal Rejected, Myanmar Keeps Two Reuters Journalists In Jail; And Artist Ai Weiwei Takes On A Major Human Rights Issue. Aired: 8-9a ET
Aired January 11, 2019 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST, "NEWS STREAM" (voice over): Heading for a record length shutdown, as President Trump visits the border.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: China is actually much easier to deal with than the opposition party.
LU STOUT (voice over): Appeal rejected, Myanmar keeps two Reuters journalists in jail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT RIVERS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: There was a sense of pessimism that this was going to end this way given the previous conviction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT (voice over): And artist Ai Weiwei takes on a major human rights issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AI WEIWEI, CHINESE ARTIST: I went to Bangladesh to see Rohingya refugees, they have no shoes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT (on camera): I'm Kristi Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream." The U.S. government's partial shutdown is on the brink of
becoming the longest in the country's history. We are now three weeks in and it is the first day some 800,000 Federal workers will not be paid.
President Donald Trump says he will probably declare a national emergency at the southern border after his meetings with top Congressional Democrats
failed to reach a deal that would fund his border wall.
Mr. Trump spoke to reporters just before departing for the Texas border.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If this doesn't work out, probably I will do it. I would almost say definitely. This is a national emergency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: An official says the White House is laying the groundwork in case that happens, looking at billions of dollars in unspent disaster
recovery and military construction funds. Abby Phillip is following all the developments. She joins us live outside the White House. Abby, good
to see you. Now, to get his wall, is Donald Trump going to declare a national emergency?
ABBY PHILLIP, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well Kristie, it's not clear exactly what he's going to do or when he might do it if he does declare
one. He is certainly talking about it quite a bit and using it as a possibility that is out there to perhaps pressure the parties to come to
the table, but at the same time, aides who have been preparing for this, giving him the information that he might need in order to make such a
decision are not really sure what he's going to decide to do.
And there are some indications, for example, that the President has decided to cancel his trip to Davos which is scheduled for later this month that
the President expects the shutdown to last much longer.
But yesterday, he did travel to the border in Texas - McAllen, Texas, where he talked to Border Patrol agents and others in the area and seemed to be
raising the stakes about what is going on at the border, perhaps in preparation for a declaration of a national emergency. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're certainly under attack by criminal gangs, by criminals themselves, by the human traffickers, and by drugs of all kinds - much of
it comes through the southern border.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIP: So you're seeing the President really taking his - ratcheting his language up, trying to talk about a crisis and attack on the country by
these gangs. But obviously, the questions are going to be that this problem has existed for quite some time, why only now is the President
considering declaring a national emergency?
LU STOUT: And Abby, by ratcheting up the language, by calling the situation at the border a crisis and saying that America is under attack,
does that give the President more leverage to actually go ahead and declare a national emergency?
PHILLIP: Well, this is one of the things that the lawyers in the White House and his aides have advised senior officials to do, the President, the
Vice President, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielson to try to build a case for a national emergency by talking about
this as a crisis.
Now, will that mean that if this is challenged in a court of law that they will be successful? It's not clear. It certainly builds a public case
that they have been talking about this in this way for longer than simply just before the President declares a national emergency, but it certainly
is not going to stop the Democrats who are already preparing to file lawsuits against the President if he were to do this from taking this to
the courts.
And it's not clear, given that President Trump has been talking about this for months and months and also that the President has had unified control
of government up until the last three weeks. Why in that period of time did the President not do more to resolve this issue? I think these are
going to be some key questions that might undermine the case for a crisis that is being made publicly by the President and by these senior officials.
LU STOUT: Abby Phillip reporting live for us from the White House. Abby, thank you. The Federal workers not getting a paycheck right now aren't
just sitting back and watching this happen, many of them have been taking to the streets.
[08:05:04]
LU STOUT: And not just there in Washington, D.C., either. Federal workers are all over the United States. One woman says she has gone to a temp
agency for work, but is making half of what she usually makes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LYNN STRATTON, FURLOUGHED U.S. FEDERAL WORKER: I have enough for one more mortgage payment and I've got to go to CarMax tomorrow and sell my car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to sell your car?
STRATTON: I have to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Lynn is just one of 800,000 people not getting paid right now because of the shutdown. She says she doesn't blame Donald Trump or the
Democrats. She says it's everybody.
Air travelers in the U.S. are feeling the impact of the government shutdown. At Miami's International Airport, security screeners are calling
in sick at double their normal rate and that is forcing the Florida Airport to close one terminal early for at least three days starting on Saturday.
New York's La Guardia Airport also feeling the pinch where travelers are complaining of security lines lasting hours.
Our aviation correspondent, Rene Marsh joins us now from Reagan National Airport just outside of Washington. And Rene, the shutdown is affecting
air travel staffing. How bad is it getting?
RENE MARSH, AVIATION CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well, I can tell you that this shutdown has been painful for Federal workers, TSA employees at airports.
But today, it hurts particularly bad because this is the first day they will miss a paycheck.
I want you take a look at this image here. This is a pay stub provided to us from one of those Federal workers and there you see it, this is what
they're all going to see today. Zero. That is their pay for the last two weeks that they've worked.
You know in speaking with several TSA employees, for some, the breaking point is today, the day that they miss this first check. For others, they
say they can go another week or two, but it is very clear that we are approaching that collective breaking point for everyone.
Just look at Miami International Airport, we have learned that they plan on shutting down one of their terminals over the weekend to shuffle employees.
The airport says they have to close down one of the airports because a lot of TSA screeners have actually called out sick, more than double - double I
should say, the number normally.
So they're seeing the issue there at Miami International Airport by them shutting down their Concourse G. People will certainly - flyers will
certainly feel the impact there, but Kristie, you mentioned there were protests across the country yesterday. All of these Federal workers saying
they want to get paid, they want this shutdown to end. They cannot get by without getting a paycheck and not only are they impacted, but people who
don't work for the Federal government are impacted.
If you fly, you are impacted. Take a listen to some of the safety implications.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL RINALDI, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION: Safety programs that we've been working on to build the ultimate safety
culture that we have had in the last ten years completely come to a stop. As this continues to go on, the layers of safety are being reduced into our
airspace system for no reason whatsoever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARSH: So that is the story here today. Again, today, extremely significant again because this is that day that all of these workers who
have been working for the past two weeks, they open up their paychecks, the envelope, and it says zero dollars.
The question is, how long does this go on? It is clear that these employees cannot go on for many, many, many weeks or months to come without
getting paid, Kristie, so at some point, something has to give.
LU STOUT: Yes, as you said, they have reached breaking points, breaking for scores of U.S. Federal employees and there are security risks, as well,
being presented due to the shutdown. Rene Marsh reporting live for us. Rene, thank you.
President Trump's Former lawyer, Michael Cohen, will make a pit stop on Capitol Hill before he heads to prison. Cohen is set to testify before the
House Oversight Committee in February before he begins a three-year prison sentence.
House Democrats plan to ask him for details about his work with Mr. Trump and hopes to get details on his cooperation with Special Counsel Robert
Mueller. Now, Mueller has cleared Cohen's testimony. Cohen has cooperated with Mueller's team after he pleaded guilty back in August to multiple
charges including campaign finance crimes.
Those involved payments to silence women during Mr. Trump's 2016 Presidential run. Cohen says he looks forward to giving a, quote, "full
and credible account of the events that transpired."
The Chinese telecom giant Huawei says it is looking into the arrest of one of its executives by Poland. Polish authorities arrested the executive,
that's according to state media there, along with a Polish citizen.
Let's bring in CNN's Atika Shubert tracking developments from Berlin, and Atika, tell us more, exactly who was arrested and what are they accused of
doing?
[08:10:04]
ATIKA SHUBERT, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Poland won't give out the full names of these suspects, but what we know is intriguing. Both
of them were arrested on Tuesday. Their homes were searched and they are accused of working with Chinese intelligence.
Now, a court ruled that they could be held for three months as investigations are ongoing. And as you point out, one of them is a Chinese
national. According to the court papers, Weijing W. is what he is known as, and the Polish broadcaster, national broadcaster says that he is an
executive with Huawei.
Now, we called Poland's Special Services to find out more. They would simply say that he was a Chinese national who works for, quote, "a Chinese
telecommunications company." Now the other suspect, a polish national, is named Piotr D. D - being of course the initial of his last name.
We don't know that much about him, but the Polish national broadcaster has said that he is a former employee of the Internal Security Agency. Poland
Special Services, when we called them, did not want to comment on that.
But those details alone are very intriguing and it's very clear that this seems to be quite a serious case of espionage.
LU STOUT: And Atika, this is not the first time in recent months that a Huawei employee has been arrested abroad.
SHUBERT: No, it's not. I mean, this has clearly been happening before. We had the case with Canada, for example, which became quite a big
diplomatic incident, continues to be and Poland is not the only country in Europe that is looking at this.
You know, I think it's also important to point out that just last month, actually, Poland's Foreign Ministry put out a statement saying that it was
concerned by corporate cyber espionage being conducted by China. So this arrest didn't come out of nowhere.
And other countries in Europe are equally trying to scrutinize Huawei's activities in Europe. Germany, here, for example, is looking to install 5G
networks this year. It's actually holding an auction for who should be installing them nationwide, and Huawei is a leading contender and it has
conducted extensive tests here.
But, obviously, when you have these allegations of espionage now surfacing around the globe, it is going to put a lot of pressure on that.
LU STOUT: Yes, very interesting to see. Poland is now the latest country to join this ever lengthening list of countries that are scrutinizing
Huawei. Atika Shubert on this story for us. Atika, thank you.
Now, one of the largest universities in the U.S. is warning students and staff not to use social media and messaging apps while visiting China. The
University of California specifically says messages, popular platforms like WeChat and even WhatsApp could be used against visitors by Chinese law
enforcement.
The warning is the latest concern to be raised over western trouble to China following the December 1st arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at
the request of U.S. authorities.
Japanese authorities have indicted the former Nissan Chairman, Carlos Ghosn on two new charges of financial misconduct. One of the new charges accuses
him of underreporting income through March of last year. Will Ripley explains what these new charges mean for the one-time star of the auto
industry.
WILL RIPLEY, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Kristie, this has to be an incredibly frustrating development for Carlos Ghosn and his legal team who had been
trying to get the 64-year-old auto tycoon out on bail, something that now seems very unlikely at this point.
Ghosn was already facing charges for underreporting his pay over five fiscal years to the tune of some $46 million. These new charges allege
that Ghosn continued that practice of underreporting for three more years, $37 million, and there is a new charge of aggravated breach of trust.
Prosecutors are alleging that Ghosn orchestrated a complex scheme trying to transfer losses on foreign exchange contracts to Nissan's books. He is
even accused of using company funds to repay a Saudi man who put up collateral for those contracts.
Now we are told that this breach of trust charge is by far the most serious, and in fact, even Ghosn's attorney is now saying that it would be
very difficult for his client to get out on bail, and you know, the way that the Japanese legal system works, it could be six months, Ghosn's
lawyer says, before he even goes on trial.
Six months of sitting in that Tokyo jail cell where he has been for much of the time since his arrest on November 19th only allowed meetings with his
legal team, and a bit of exercise every day.
It is really remarkable to see, you know, the downfall of Carlos Ghosn, this jet-setting auto tycoon who was flying around the world and then we
see him this week appearing in Tokyo District Court in handcuffs with a rope around his waist, noticeably thinner.
His family says he has lost 44 pounds and they're worried about his health. He had a fever this week although his temperature, a doctor say is now back
down. But even though he might look weak, he still spoke with a lot of strength and passion in court declaring his innocence. And we're told that
he's been kind of running his legal defense much like he ran his companies.
[08:15:00]
RIPLEY: Like a CEO, taking detailed notes of his daily interrogations by Japanese prosecutors and then reporting back to his legal team just with
the same kind of decisiveness and leadership that he showed when he led Renault, and Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors.
Now, Mitsubishi and Nissan have since fired Ghosn. Renault, they said, they are keeping him on for now. They say they found no sign of fraud over
the last two years, but Japanese prosecutors are saying his isn't over yet. They have not ruled out the possibility of even more charges piling up for
the embattled former CEO, Carlos Ghosn who in just a matter of months has gone from being pretty much on top of the world to now, facing potentially
years in a Japanese jail -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: Quite a turn around there. Will Ripley reporting. Thank you. Now, you're watching "News Stream" and still to come, the U.S. Secretary of
State carries on with his marathon tour of the Middle East.
He is now in Bahrain after that big speech in Egypt. But did it lessen the confusion surrounding U.S. military strategy in the region? We have a live
report, next.
And a Brexit warning from the British Foreign Secretary that leaves the process in doubt. We also have a live report from London.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: It is the end of the week here in Hong Kong. Welcome back. You're watching "News Stream." Now British lawmakers will spend Friday
continuing to go debate Theresa May's withdrawal agreement with the E.U. Parliament is set to reject the deal next week, prompting this morning from
the British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY HUNT, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: We can no longer assume that by rejecting this deal there will be a better shade of Brexit, and what is
more likely, if this deal is rejected is that we have the risk of Brexit paralysis. And when that happens, no one knows what might happen and the
big risk and what people worry about is that we don't actually deliver what people voted for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: CNN's Phil Black is near Liverpool, but first, Bianca Nobilo is outside Parliament. Bianca, Jeremy Hunt warning of Brexit paralysis. He
is basically saying it's Theresa May's deal or no Brexit. Is that enough to sway MPs to support her bill come next Tuesday?
BIANCA NOBILO, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: First of all, I would argue we're currently in Brexit paralysis. But as far as his argument is concerned,
that's what the government has been leading with for some months now, essentially threatening MPs that are wavering with the prospect of no-deal,
which is intended to scare those that wish to remain who are very concerned about the economic consequences of that or a no Brexit which, of course,
will strike fear into the heart of Brexiteers within the Prime Minister's own party. And this has been their strategy.
In fact, even yesterday, one of the Prime Minister's chief allies in the Brexit process, the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, now coincidentally
also warned against the prospect of a no-deal.
[08:20:03]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHINZO ABE, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (Through a translator): It is the strong will of Japan to further develop this strong partnership with the
U.K. to invest more into your country and to enjoy further economic growth with the U.K. That is why we truly hope that a no-deal Brexit will be
avoided and in fact, this is the whole wish of the whole world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: So the government is presenting this binary choice, essentially, if the Prime Minister's deal doesn't go through, then the British public is
facing potentially a no-deal or a no Brexit.
So the Prime Minister cautions the House of Commons not to make the perfect, i.e. their ideal scenario, the enemy of the good, but her problem
is that she's got too many MPs that are willing to rebel because they are at the end of their career of they've staked their reputation on this and
they believe too strongly and they're too ideologically committed to either achieving Brexit and a real hard Brexit or ensuring that the country isn't
damaged economically and wanting the U.K. to remain as closely aligned as possible and they simply think that the Prime Minister's deal doesn't go
far enough to protect the U.K. from that shock.
LU STOUT: And with such strong feelings about Brexit, wondering how a certain camp is responding to what we heard from the Japanese Prime
Minister, Shinzo Abe right next to Theresa May saying that the whole world wants to reveal a no-deal Brexit. How are Brexiteers reacting to that?
NOBILO: Brexiteers are obviously very concerned that they are losing grip on something they fought so hard to achieve. That has been their concern
all along, and they see the Prime Minister's deal, certainly, the hard line wing of the Prime Minister's back benchers as Brexit in name only, meaning,
yes, they U.K. would technically be leaving the E.U. on the 29th of March this year.
But in actual fact, if you look at all the parameters of Theresa May's deal, it would be remaining too closely aligned for their liking. Their
concern is that the opportunity Brexiteers see with Brexit, the fact that the U.K. would be able to trade more globally and be a truly global nation
wouldn't be able to be grasped upon if the Prime Minister's deal goes ahead.
And then of course, with warnings like what the Foreign Secretary said today, their concern is if Brexit is delayed or if the Prime Minister's
deal isn't voted through because there's a majority in the House against a no-deal, then what does that mean for them? It means that most likely
Brexit would then have to be softened in some way, shape or form.
LU STOUT: Let's go to Phil Black standing by near Liverpool, and Phil, a majority of people there, they voted to remain. Now, how are they feeling
right now ahead of Tuesday's vote?
PHIL BLACK, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Kristie, I am standing across the River Mersey from remain-voting Liverpool, a historic port city, one that is
international and outward looking, but also famously with a very specific and defined sense of local identity. Fifty six percent of people here
backed the remain vote and so, perhaps no surprise that this is one of those places where there's been a lot of talk about the possibility of a
second referendum.
Another vote to give people the chance to reconsider the whole Brexit situation now that they are better informed. There is strong support for
it here. Thousands of people have previously marched through streets of Liverpool demanding it, but there is caution, as well.
This is a little of what people have been telling us on the streets of Liverpool today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Me, myself personally, I think it would be a good thing if we have a second referendum, but it will also divide the country in a
serious way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... for a second referendum. That is a no-no. That is a definite no-no because if we go down that road, we'll get rid of
democracy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a load of rubbish. I voted to come out of Brexit. It's my democracy to do so, and if they take that democracy from
me, I shall never, ever vote again in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: So the Prime Minister opposes the idea of a second referendum for the same reasons that you heard there. She believes it would be a betrayal
of the first vote and it's interesting, that even some of those people who are inclined to like the idea of a second vote because they are remainers
at heart, they, too, suspect that in other ways, it could be damaging for the country.
But there are practical concerns for the remain supporting crowd here in Liverpool, as well. They're largely worried about the economy, the
possibility of jobs and industries taking a hit and, of course, that could potentially mean job losses, as well, especially they will tell you in a
no-deal Brexit scenario -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: Wow, some really strong views being expressed on the streets of Liverpool. Phil Black reporting live, along with Bianca Nobilo reporting
live in London. A big thank you to you both.
One day after the U.S. Secretary of State made that major speech in Cairo, reaffirming America's commitment to the Middle East, we're learning that
the first stage of the U.S. withdrawal from Syria is under way.
Now, Mike Pompeo, he touched down in Bahrain. He is now there. He arrived earlier in the day, the third stop on his eight-nation tour of the region
intended to reassure U.S. allies. During a speech on Thursday, Pompeo described the U.S. as, quote, "a force for good in the Mid East," and
praise for what he called America's reinvigorated role in the region.
[08:25:10]
LU STOUT: Ben Wedeman is in Cairo, he joins us now. And Ben, again, Mike Pompeo has touched down in Bahrain, bringing along with him presumably
Trump's anti-Iran message.
BEN WEDEMAN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Yes, and that's a message that will probably go down well in most capitals he's visiting in
the Gulf. Although, he is going to Qatar which, as a result of its conflict with Saudi Arabia, has grown closer to Iran. So nothing is ever
simple in this part of the world and Mr. Pompeo hopefully will be finding just how complicated things are because we are seeing how complicated the
U.S. role and the mission is at the moment.
We were reporting earlier this week that the National Security adviser, John Bolton, had told Turkish officials that the precondition for U.S.
withdrawal of forces from Syria would be a guarantee from Turkey that it would not go after the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Northeastern Syria.
However, we are seeing this morning that the U.S. is announcing that that withdrawal is going ahead without any Turkish guarantees and we don't know
what the situation will be in Northern Syria once the U.S. pulls out.
We do know that the Kurds are in touch with the government in Damascus to possibly work out some sort of return of Syrian government authority to the
northeastern part of Syria. That, despite the fact that of course, Syria is a close ally of Iran. So in a sense, the U.S. pull out from
Northeastern Syria is a win for Iran, not quite clear if the Americans really worked out that possible eventuality and certainly, Secretary
Pompeo, who went on quite a lot, he made more than 25 mentions of Iran in his address in Cairo yesterday.
But despite that, Iran may yet again come out the winner in all of this -- Kristie.
LU STOUT: Ben Wedeman, connecting all the dots for so many geopolitical lines there across the region. Ben, as always, thank you.
There has been this week a flurry of diplomatic activity regarding North Korea, but still no word about a North Korean diplomat who has been missing
for two months. Jo Song Gil disappeared from his post in Rome setting off speculation that he defected. Earlier, I spoke to Pyongyang's former
deputy envoy to the U.K., Thae Yong-ho who himself defected in 2016. He says wherever Jo is, he may not be safe.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
THAE YONG-HO, PYONGYANG'S FORMER DEPUTY ENVOY TO THE U.K.: I worked with Jo Song Gil for ten years in the same office and that last time I met him
was in 2013 and that was the last meeting between me and Jo Song Gil. And at this minute, I am very much concerned about his security and his family.
LU STOUT: Jo and his family, they have gone missing in Italy. Has he defected? And if so, why?
YONG-HO: That is my question. It was reported that Jo Song Gil and his family just disappeared in Italy and there was no confirmation whether his
family is on the security protection by the Italian government or, furthermore, no government, including the American government, expressed
any concern about the security of Jo Song Gil and his family. That is my greatest concern.
LU STOUT: You're right. We don't know where he is. We don't know where he is requesting asylum, but from what you know about him, why do you think
he wanted to leave? Why do you think he wanted to defect?
YONG HO: I have no any clue but to my judgment, first of all, he did not support the North Korean - the system, maybe that is the political reason,
and furthermore, he like me, he didn't want to let his child to live the same - the life pattern which he underwent in North Korea. As a father, he
just wanted to give the freedom to his child.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LU STOUT: North Korean defector, Thae Yong-ho, speaking to me earlier. You're watching "News Stream" and still to come, a legal setback for two
reporters jailed in Myanmar, but they're not out of legal options just yet.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:30:00]
LU STOUT: I am Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, you're watching "News Stream", and these are your world headlines. By Saturday, the partial U.S.
government shutdown will be the longest in the country's history. Some 800,000 Federal employees are seeing their third week without pay.
President Trump went to the Texas border on Thursday to make his case for his wall. He says he will, quote, "probably declare a national emergency
to secure funding."
Polish state media reports, Chinese and Polish suspects arrested for alleged spying have pleaded not guilty. The Chinese suspect is an
executive for the Chinese telecom giant, Huawei. This is according to state media. The court has ordered the pair to be held for three months.
The British tennis star Andy Murray has announced he will retire this year. The former world number one says his hip injury is getting the better of
him, but he is still aiming to play at Wimbledon one last time this July.
Two imprisoned Reuters reporters in Myanmar will remain behind bars for now. A high court in Yangon turned down their appeals on Friday. The
reporters were locked up while investigating a massacre of Rohingya Muslims. And as Matt Rivers reports, the ruling was hardly unexpected.
RIVERS: Well, this was a ruling that was both unsurprising, but also deeply disappointing to supporters of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo around the
world. As Yangon's high court rejected the pair's appeal of their conviction last year on a rarely used colonial-era law.
Now, the two journalists first gained international attention when they published an incredibly detailed account that revealed that the Myanmar
military and others brutally massacred a group of Rohingya men in Rakhine State, the part of Myanmar where more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have
been forced to flee, thanks to what U.N. Human Rights officials have called a genocide allegations the government has denied.
Their reporting actually led to seven members of Myanmar's military facing jail time. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo testified last year that two policemen
that they didn't know gave them documents and then, walked away. This was after they published that story and minutes later, after they were given
those documents, both men were arrested for possessing state secrets.
Their trial was largely regarded as a sham and there is a wide agreement that the two were set up by the police because of their reporting. But
nonetheless, they were convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison last year. Here is their boss, Reuter's editor-in-chief, Stephen Adler.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN ADLER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, REUTERS: Today's ruling is yet another injustice among many inflicted upon Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. They remain
behind bars for one reason. Those in power sought to silence the truth. Reporting is not a crime, and until Myanmar rights this terrible wrong, the
press in Myanmar is not free and Myanmar's commitment to rule of law and democracy remains in doubt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[08:35:00]
RIVERS: The trial has turned into a test case of sorts in the newly established democracy of Myanmar's which just a few years ago had many
western countries hoping it could become a beacon of democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, but Myanmar's de facto leader
has been criticized not only for not doing enough to help the Rohingya people, but also for standing behind the conviction of the Reuters
journalists.
As for the two men, their families are considering next steps including continuing to appeal the conviction all the way to the country's Supreme
Court. Matt Rivers, CNN, Beijing.
LU STOUT: The plight of the Rohingya refugees has certainly caught the attention of artist and activist Ai Weiwei. He explains how he was
inspired to designed a symbolic flag after the misery he witnessed at a refugee camp in Bangladesh.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
WEIWEI: Well, I think the human rights need to be re-announced and need to be always protected by each generation and one London activist group asked
me to design a flag on human rights. So it takes me some time to think about this issue.
And I went to Bangladesh to see Rohingya refugees, so in the camp, we see so many children and women and elderly people. They have no shoes and also
I see the same condition in Africa, in also different kind of camps globally, so I made their footprints, so it was barefoot, so I think for
that reason, that would be a good example for this kind of image to reflect the human condition and that is why I used that image for the flag.
LU STOUT: It is a powerful image. Do you feel that the world needs this? We need this visual reminder because so many of us have forgotten the
meaning of human rights?
WEIWEI: I think human rights, the concept has been there over 200 years and we always have to readdress this issue because today's conditions, the
human rights have a very different - should have a very different content in many ways.
We see environmental problems. There is citizen's privacy - it has been violated by the state, such as in China in many cases.
LU STOUT: You have deep empathy for minorities, for migrants, for refugees. But how do you inspire empathy in people who want to build walls
and keep the migrants out?
WEIWEI: Well, we have to - that's why we have to talk about human rights. We have to see human rights and a human dignity as one. So if anyone's
rights have been violated, it doesn't matter if it's minority or whatever, and the religion it has, so we have to say - think that our rights are
being violated.
Only by doing that we can come as, you know, human and humanity as one and we can protect our very basic rights, otherwise, we will always be divided
by politicians or by someone with special interests.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LU STOUT: Artist and activist, Ai Weiwei there. You're watching "News Stream" and still to come, the U.S. President Donald Trump has proved to
differ in every way from his predecessors, even in the way he bids farewell.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:40:00]
LU STOUT: Now, it has been months since Baby Chanco won the internet's collective hearts thanks to her impossibly thick hair. And now, this
lovable toddler turned Instagram sensation stars in a new Pantene ad alongside a Japanese TV announcer admired for her elegant gray locks.
But if Baby Chanco is your hair-spiration, listen closely. Her mom says this, brushing and just letting her live as she is, is the secret to caring
for her daughter's magnificent mane.
Now with just two brief words, U.S. President Trump makes it clear that he is ready to shut down a conversation. Jeanne Moos gives us her take on Mr.
Trump's latest lingo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You've heard of long goodbyes. This is the long --
TRUMP: Bye-bye.
MOOS: Donald Trump has been saying it forever.
TRUMP: You know what? Bye-bye.
So I said bye-bye. Would that make it a deal?
MOOS: But when he said it and then walked out on Chuck and Nancy.
TRUMP: I very calmly said if you are not going to give us strong borders, bye-bye.
MOOS: It made headlines even in France. It's one thing for N'Sync to sing it or Ann-Margaret to belt it out. But this is POTUS not some "SNL" skit
about a mean airline.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you tell me --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bye-bye. I'm sorry - what part didn't you understand? Bye-bye.
MOOS: Often President Trump's signature kiss off line is accompanied by a signature hand wave.
TRUMP: And if they said no, I would have said bye-bye.
MOOS: Whether it is about dealing with Iran or NATO.
TRUMP: If they don't pay, bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.
MOOS: He loves saying it to protesters.
TRUMP: Bye -- go home to mommy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're a bigot.
TRUMP: Bye-bye.
MOOS: But when it comes to a government shutdown, political analyst Howard Fineman tweeted "@RealDonaldTrump doesn't understand that being president
means you can't say bye-bye. This isn't a real estate deal in New York where you can just walk away." Sure a host of a show could do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Out of time, bye-bye.
MOOS: But out of line, according to this analyst, "Bye-bye? What is he a Teletubby?"
LALA, TELETUBBY: Bye-bye.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bye-bye, Lala.
MOOS: Having their line hijacked by the President, enough to turn a Teletubby's tummy.
LALA: Bye-bye.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bye-bye, Lala.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bye-bye, Po.
PO, TELETUBBY: Bye-bye.
MOOS: -- New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LU STOUT: Bye-bye. "World Sport" with Alex Thomas is next.
(SPORTS)
[09:00:00]
END
