Mizzima News

New Delhi - A Burmese woman journalist, Aye Aye Win, has been named recipient of the International Women's Media Foundation's 2008 "Courage in Journalism" award, for her outstanding reportage on Burma under the hawk's eye of its military rulers.

Aye Aye Win (54) was selected for the award for her courageous reporting of events in Burma including the monk-led protests in September 2007, the foundation said in a statement released on Thursday.

"I am overjoyed by the award as it is recognition of my work," Aye Aye Win told Mizzima over telephone.

"But it does not mean that I did something extraordinary. All my other colleagues as well as other journalists did a good job reporting the Burma situation," she added.

Aye Aye Win, a correspondent of the Associated Press, worked under constant surveillance by the authorities and her house is periodically staked out by plainclothes police or military intelligence agents. Her telephone is also often tapped, the foundation said.

Burma's military rulers have an iron grip on the media and tightly control flow of information. Its state-run media – newspaper, television and radio – continuously criticizes the foreign media and its correspondents alleging that they spread false information aiming at disintegration of the nation.

Many times to evade the authorities she would disguise herself, by changing her hairstyle and wearing unisex outfits.

Aye Aye Win also accompanied pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on her political tour around the country in 2003 until she was physically barred from proceeding.

She also closely followed details of the arrests of activists and members of the National League for Democracy by visiting their family members to verify the arrests despite being watched by the secret police.

During the September 2007 protests, Aye Aye Win walked the streets to get first hand reports of the unfolding events, while soldiers were firing at marchers and beating up innocent bystanders, the foundation said.

The "Courage in Journalism" award is annually presented to women journalists who "show extraordinary strength of character and integrity while reporting news under dangerous or difficult circumstances."

Two other women journalists, who were also selected for the 2008 award are Fraida Nekzad from Afghanistan and Sevgul Uludag from Cyprus.

The awards for this year will be presented at ceremonies in Los Angeles on October 16 and New York on October 21. Award winners will participate in a panel discussion in Washington, D.C., on October 9.