Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson gives a speech at the Foreign Office in London December 7, 2017. REUTERS/Victoria Jones/Pool

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has expressed grave concerns to the government of Myanmar over the arrest of two Reuters journalists, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Thursday.

Myanmar’s Ministry of Information said in a statement on Wednesday that the journalists and two policemen faced charges under the British colonial-era Official Secrets Act. The 1923 law carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

“We have already expressed our grave concerns to the Burmese government,” Johnson told reporters in London.

“We are committed to freedom of speech and people’s ability to report the facts and bring into the public domain what is happening in Rakhine state,” he said.