DOHA: Al Jazeera English bagged a prestigious award at the Asian Television Awards (ATA) yesterday in Singapore. The channel won the honour for the best current affairs programme.
Al Jazeera English received the award for "Inside Myanmar -- The Crackdown." Al Jazeera English Correspondent Tony Birtley's exclusive undercover report from inside Myanmar broadcast the military launching a brutal crackdown against protesters seeking to lead a popular uprising against the regime.
In Yangon, Birtley witnessed first-hand the government's repression of its own people. Birtley disguised himself as a tourist, and came under fire as he sought to film the soldiers beating monks and other protesters. He spoke to the people of Yangon, giving them a rare chance to express their hopes and fears for the future of their country.
The senior producer of the programme was Marcus Cheek. It was produced by Lucy Keating and the editor was Badrul Hisham.
Al Jazeera English also received commendations in the categories of best documentary programme and best current affairs programme for "The Lost Tribe - Secret Army of the CIA".
Al Jazeera English Correspondent Tony Birtley trekked into the jungles of northern Laos to find a "lost tribe" of Hmong fighters. Recruited by the CIA in the 1960s to fight a secret war against the Communists of North Vietnam, they were abandoned when the US fled Saigon in 1975. For the past 30 years, up to 7,000 Hmong, including some former CIA fighters, have been hiding in the mountains and jungles of Laos. They claim to be under constant threat of attack by the Laotian army. Tony Birtley was the first television journalist ever to reach their jungle hideout.
The other team members for the programme were: senior producer Steph Scawen, producer Eunice Lau and editor Tricia Tan.
Al Jazeera English also received a high commendation in the category of best current affairs programme for "People & Power - Coal Face"
Al Jazeera English's Yang Shaobin, Kai P Yang and Oliver Steeds travelled into one of China's coal mines, where the air is thick with coal dust. Inevitably, it will end up coating the lungs of every miner, causing emphysema, silicosis, anthracosis or black lung disease. Many are less fortunate, with flooding, collapsing mine shafts and fireballs making working these mines a daily dice with death. China's growth is built on coal. There are plans for a further 500 coal-fired power stations to be built. It's a booming, but deadly industry, with over 6,000 miners killed last year alone.
The team for the programme was: Camera/Director Yang Shaobin, producer/writer Oliver Steeds, local producer Kai P Yang, editor Yves Scagliola, and narrator Mike Villiers-Stuart.
"The Asian Television Awards are among the most coveted in the region and our journalists have been justly rewarded for their in-depth and groundbreaking reporting," said Tony Burman, Managing Director of Al Jazeera English.
ATA is one of the leading events in the region to showcase, recognise and reward programme and production excellence in Asia.
© The Peninsula 2008
