Asia’s Bravest Reporters Honoured at 2024 Human Rights Press Awards

 

On World Press Freedom Day, the 2024 Human Rights Press Awards in Asia were announced by a consortium including Human Rights Watch, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, and press clubs in Taiwan and Thailand. Winners were recognized for reporting on rising suicide numbers in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and Chinese citizens’ protests against strict COVID lockdowns.

Tirana Hassan, director at one of the organizers, noted the awards highlight journalists exposing realities and issues across Asia, especially vital given today’s autocratic leaders and misinformation. She praised this year’s recipients for their fearless truth-telling work.

A new “Newsroom in Exile” category has been added to the existing commentary, print, photography, video, audio, and multimedia divisions.

Thompson Chau of Taiwan’s Foreign Correspondents Club described coverage from Hong Kong, Myanmar, and Afghanistan as particularly brave, since impartial reporting in those conditions is dangerous and difficult.

The Guardian received an investigative award for exposing Nepalese labor trafficking in Saudi Arabia. Other honorees reported on challenges facing Hong Kong’s LGBTQ community, abuses by Bangladesh’s elite police unit, and a global hospital group’s kidney trafficking scandal.

World Press Day on May 3 recognizes journalists who protect human rights and shine a light on obscured realities worldwide. A free press remains pivotal for democracy and societal well-being.