Myanmar journalist Htet Khaung Lin has been awarded the prestigious Lorenzo Natali Prize in Brussels for a story on clandestine sex workers.
The article, published in Myanmar Now, focused on the life of a 16-year-old girl whose mother had agreed to sell her daughter’s virginity to a businessman for $3,000.
“This piece demonstrates how the power of journalism can help a country that only recently came back into the global community to move forward and confront its problems,” said Eric Chinje, one of the judges.
Since beginning his career in 2007, Htet has since worked for several media outlets including Ecovision, the Messenger Weekly, the Myanmar Post Journal, and the Myanmar Now News Agency.
Htet has also participated in news journalism training at the American Center Yangon and with ActionAid Myanmar.
The European Commission honoured nine journalists. Out of more than 1,400 registered participants from across the world, the nine journalists stood out for the quality of their journalistic work.
Speaking about the winners, Commissioner Mimica said: “These talented journalists remind us why development and poverty eradication are so important for people's lives around the world, as their powerful stories show.”
The prize is awarded in memory of Lorenzo Natali, a former staunch defender of freedom of expression, democracy, human rights and development. An independent jury was responsible for selecting the winners.
The winning journalists received prizes of €5,000 and trophies during the an awards ceremony held in the Bibliothèque Solvay in Brussels on Jan. 14, 2016.
For more information on the winners and their stories go to http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/lnp