Stockholm, Sweden — The Edita and Ira Morris Hiroshima Foundation honoured Burma News International (BNI) with the 2023 Hiroshima Foundation Prize, in recognition of its vigilant monitoring of peace and development efforts. The award ceremony was successfully held on September 25 in Stockholm, Sweden.
Following the foundation's announcement on May 15, an award ceremony was held to honor BNI, a Myanmar media network consisting of 15 ethnic news/media outlets, for its commendable work in coverage of ethnic news and reporting human rights violations to the international community.
At the ceremony, Daw Tin Tin Nyo, the Managing Director of BNI, expressed her gratitude for the award and conveyed her thanks to the attendees via online. She also addressed the plight of the Myanmar people who have suffered oppression and violence at the hands of the Military Council following the military coup, highlighting their humanitarian needs and the challenges faced by the news media sector under military rule.
"Despite the various pressures exerted by the Military Council, the media continues to make every effort to provide reliable information. Journalists were easily targeted by the military, resulting in arrests and fatalities during the coup. As members of the media operating under these difficult conditions, we are sincerely grateful for the foundation's award," said Daw Tin Tin Nyo.
Ko San Thel, the editor-in-chief of Khonumthung Media, a media group affiliated with BNI, and U Khin Maung Win, representing Mizzima Media, attended the award ceremony in person. During the ceremony, Ko San Thel accepted the Hiroshima Foundation Prize on behalf of BNI.
The award ceremony was conducted through a hybrid format, with participation from both online and in-person attendees. In total, 30 individuals were present, including invited media representatives, officials, and in-person guests.
The Hiroshima Foundation, established in 1989, annually recognizes individuals, both women and men, who contribute, in a cultural field, to fostering dialogue, understanding and peace in conflict areas. The 2020 prize was awarded to the Bi-Communal Choir for Peace in Cyprus, while the 2018 prize honored Mike van Graan, a South African-born playwright and cultural activist, for his significant role in the fight against apartheid, according to the statement issued on May 15.
