A newspaper publisher who established a sports paper and used coded headlines to call for democracy in Myanmar has won the Golden Pen Press Freedom Award from the World Editors' Forum, said news report from the Australian.
Dr ThanHtutAung, chairman and chief executive of the Eleven Media Group, has evaded harsh media censorship from the Myanmar ruling junta by publishing a sports newspaper articles with hidden messages regarding the democratic movement on a regular basis.
With the strict licensing laws established by the Myanmar government to crack down on opposition, Dr Than Htut Aung ran publications under four separate titles. Because of this, his paper was oftentimes suspended and was arrested. His editors also received prison terms and death sentence.
During the World Association of Newspapers Conference held in Bangkok and attended by more than 1500 newspaper executives, Dr Aung stressed that the award is not for him but he would like it to share with the people who struggled with him and also dedicate it to the country.
He said that he never experienced freedom before. But now after 25 years, freedom is already being experienced but there are some issues and concerns that have to be fixed, the report said.
According to Dr Aung, his journalists have the tasked to inform the issues and concern about Myanmar such as the millions of people living in poverty, the hundreds of thousands of refugees who were forced to move out from their residence and now living in camps and the prevalence of corruption in the government.
SanNweh and U Win were the two journalists who were the recipients of the Golden Pen in 2001. Original source: http://www.betweenonline.com/2013/06/03/eleven-media-boss-receives-the-golden-pen-press-freedom-award/
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