Two RI journalists win IFJ tolerance prize

Two RI journalists win IFJ tolerance prize

The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) announced on
Sunday the three winners out of the nine finalists in the IFJ
Journalism for Tolerance Prize in Southeast Asia.

The winner in the television category was Anton Bachtiar Rifai
from Metro TV, Indonesia, Ayu Purwaningsih from Radio 68H,
Indonesia, in the radio category, and Sanitsuda Ekacha from the
Bangkok Post, Thailand, in the print/online category.

They were selected as winners out of the nine finalists who
were chosen from more than 100 entries submitted to the IFJ from
Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, Singapore,
Myanmar, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The entries were judged by jurors Kavi Chongkittavorn,
assistant group editor of The Nation, Thailand; Rungmanee
Makhasobhon, a broadcast journalist freelancer from Thailand; Ng
Poh Tip, group chief editor of The Star, Malaysia; Dana Iswara,
talks show manager from TV7, Indonesia; and Luis Teodoro, editor
of Philippine Journalism Review.

The jury selected Anton for his television program about
political victims, "They That Have Been Forgotten", which was
aired on Dec. 15, 2002. The jury called it "a moving piece that
restores our faith in human beings."

Meanwhile, Ayu won for her radio series "Racial Riots in May
1998, Four Years Gone By and Forgotten", aired from May 13
through May 18, 2002. The jury comments said that Ayu's piece
"demonstrates world-class journalism, beautifully scripted, it is
both touching and gripping with deep human interest."

The printed series from Ekachai, "Searching for a State" that
was appeared in the Bangkok Post on June 25, July 9 and July 23,
2002, told readers about the Karen minority who were fighting for
their rights.

The jury described the series as "moving, well-researched,
well-put together ... It is an excellent piece, well-written with
lots of data to back it up."

Each winner received a certificate, trophy and prize money of
1,000 euro (about US$1,140).

During the announcement ceremony in Bali, which was sponsored
by the European Commission, IFJ President Christopher Warren said
in his speech that the world had been fighting for tolerance for
hundreds of years.

"The roots of tolerance in journalism lie in the words of one
of our spiritual forebears, that 18th century French
investigative journalist Voltaire: 'I disagree with what you say,
but I will fight to the death for your right to say it," he said.
"Going on for three hundreds years later, we still find ourselves
fighting for tolerance."

He also stated that journalists had a key role to play in
promoting tolerance. "...tolerance is central to our work as
journalists," he said.