Mizzima News

New Delhi (Mizzima) - For the first time, a Burmese News Agency in exile has been nominated for a prestigious press freedom award for its commitment and dedication on striving for the larger freedom of the press and expression in military-ruled Burma.

The World Press Freedom Committee, a US-based press freedom watchdog, has nominated the New Delhi based Mizzima News for the 2009 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)'s Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.

WPFC, a group comprising 37 organizations in five continents, and defending freedom of the press and assisting independent news media organizations around the world, said it has chosen to nominate Mizzima for the prize as it "has become the world's dominant Burma news operation and a thorn on the side of that country's ruthless military junta."

Mizzima, which means "middle" or "moderate" in the Pali language, was founded by three Burmese journalists in exile in August 8, 1998. Despite the current successes that it has accomplished, Mizzima had a humble beginning.

Equipped only with one laptop and no telephone lines, Mizzima's three founding members – Soe Myint, Thin Thin Aung and Win Aung – activists who were driven away by Burma's military dictators following the 1988 nation-wide uprising, launched an internet News and Features service.

But today, Mizzima has increased its work force from three to 50, and has extended its presence to India, Thailand, Bangladesh, China and Burma itself.

Mizzima is also the only Burmese Media group to receive International Press Institutes' Free Media Pioneers Award in 2007. It is also a member of the International Freedom of Expression and eXchange (IFEX) and member of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA).

WPFC has already gained endorsement by 18 international and regional organizations in nominating Mizzima for the award. The Award for 2009 will be given during the World Press Freedom Day conference to be held on May 3, in Qatar.

UNESCO had earlier in 2001 awarded the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to a veteran Burmese journalist Win Tin, who in September was released after serving a lengthy prison term.

Other Nominees for the 2009 Award includes Sri Lanka's Lasantha Wickrematunga, editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper, who was murdered in December. Wickrematunga has been nominated by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).