Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Rangoon-based 'Ecovision' reporter Eint Khaing Oo, who was arrested and sentenced to two years of imprisonment for reporting on victims of Cyclone Nargis, was honoured with the first 'Kenji Nagai Award' on February 21.
At the award giving ceremony held at the Sixth 'Burma Media Conference, in Thailand’s Chiang Mai, organisers said, the award was named after a Japanese journalist, who was killed while covering on the September 2007 protests in Rangoon.
The Award, which is co-sponsored by the APF, for which Nagai worked for, and the Burma Media Association (BMA), will be given every year to outstanding Burmese journalists, who proves their courage in reporting from Burma under the strict surveillance of its military rulers, organisers said.
"In fact, there are many professional, seasoned and veteran journalists in Burma. And also there are many more journalists, who are serving their lengthy jail terms in Burma. But, we choose Eint Khaing Oo because she was arrested while conducting her journalistic work in covering the news," said Maung Maung Myint, President of BMA.
He said, the BMA had tried to contact Eint Khaing Oo’s family to accept the prize, but were not able to get through, for which they have chosen her close friend, Suu Mon aye, who is also a reporter for the Burmese Service of 'Radio Free Asia' (RFA) to accept the award on her behalf.
Suu Mon Aye said, "I feel proud for her [Eint Khaing Oo] for being recognized through her work by this foreign news agency. But at the same time, I feel sorry for her too."
"I couldn't help thinking of her, while I was accepting this award on her behalf at the ceremony. I was thinking of her situation inside the prison. At the time of the ceremony, it is afternoon, so it might be meal time in the prison and she might be having her lunch inside the prison. Or, maybe she was having a bath or cleaning her toilet pot. She may or may not know that she is being given this prize. So, I feel extremely sorry for her," she added.
The Award, which contains a cash prize of USD 1,000, would be sent to her family, Suu Mon Aye said.
Nagai was killed by the Burmese Army on streets of Rangoon while video-shooting on the protests during the so-called ‘Saffron Revolution’. In memory of the deceased Japanese Photojournalist, a documentary film of his life was shown at the conference.
Maung Maung Myint said the BMA will maintain the tradition of giving the award in the future to reporters, who risked their freedom or are struggling for the freedom of press and are arrested while conducting their journalistic work, at the BMA annual conference.
Burma Media Conference is the meeting place and discussion forum of Burmese Media professionals including journalists, writers, poets and bloggers both inside and outside of Burma. Started since 2003, the conference was the sixth Burma Media Conference.
The BMA is a group with over 150 members that include Burmese journalists, writers, poets and bloggers both inside and outside of Burma.
During the sixth BMC, held from February 21-23, participants discussed on problems faced by Burmese News agencies including cyber attacks launched on their websites. Other agendas include discussions and suggestions on the need for Burmese journalist to prepare for the upcoming junta’s 2010 general elections, and the need for the use of a common Burmese internet font - Myanmar Unicode.
The conference was also graced with video messages from veteran journalists from inside Burma – Ludu Sein Win, Win Tin, and Dagon Taya.
