Chi-Young Lai’s son, Chong-En Lai, received the “Reporters Without Borders 2020 Press Freedom Award for Special Contributions” on behalf of his father in Taipei.
Reporters Without Borders’ “Press Freedom Award” ceremony was held in Taiwan for the first time, with the “Special Contribution Award” going to Chi-Young Lai, founder of Next Media, for his in-depth reporting and participation in the anti-sentinel campaign in Hong Kong. And the sacrifice you have made. Chi-Young Li pre-recorded her acceptance speech before her imprisonment, saying, “Your solidarity is our salvation.
Reporters sans frontière (RSF), a Paris-based organization, held its 2020 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Award ceremony in Taipei on August 8. The award was presented for the first time in Taipei, and he was proud of the recognition of Taiwan’s freedom and openness, said Ai Weiang, CEO of the organization’s East Asia office.
The “Special Contribution Award” was presented by Reporters Without Borders Honorary Board Member and Chinese pro-democracy activist Wu’er Kaixi, who said in his speech that he was proud of Taiwan’s freedom and openness. In his speech, Mr. Wuer Kaixi said that the award honors a hero who is still fighting for freedom. In the past, imprisoned Chinese journalists Liu Xiaobo and Huang Qi have received awards, but this year’s Special Contribution Award was also given to one such person, who is still in prison, not because of the epidemic, but because of his courage, who could not come to Taiwan to receive the award in person.
Media Mogul Imprisoned Chi-Ying Lai Asks Colleagues to Continue Reporting
At the ceremony, a pre-recorded video was shown of Chi-Young Lai before his arrest, in which he said, “Please continue to report on us and speak out for us, so that the world can focus on our plight and understand how we are being oppressed. We really need your support in order to continue to fight for the values of the free world on the front lines.
Li Chong En, son of Li Zhiying, who was sitting at the VIP table, received the trophy from Wuer Kaixi, which his father had traded for his freedom.
On behalf of my father and his family, I would like to thank RSF for honoring my father on his 73rd birthday with this award. My sisters visited him on Saturday and he was met under the watchful eye of the inmates, with no name, only code names, a stark and heartbreaking contrast to his upbringing where he was always in control. But can anyone really be in control of anything? Absolute control of everything would require taking away the freedom of the human will.”
Pre-recorded speech of Chi-Young Lai, who was awarded the “Reporters Without Borders 2020 Special Contribution Award for Press Freedom” before her imprisonment. (Courtesy of Reporters Without Borders)
The Hong Kong government can imprison brave Hong Kong people, but it can never control them.
Chong En Lai emphasized: “Many brave Hong Kong people, and the small island of China, with its economic power, are a reminder that attempts at absolute control are futile. Those who refuse to submit, you can imprison them all you want, but you will never be able to control them.”
Chong En Lai received thunderous applause for his father’s acceptance of the award.
Reporters Without Borders announced this year’s nominees, with seven journalists (four women and three men) and five media outlets (or journalist organizations) competing for three awards: the Courage Award, the Impact Award, and the Independence Award.
The “Independence Award” was given to Lina L., founder of Mada Masr, an independent Egyptian news media. Lina Attalah. (Courtesy of Reporters Without Borders)
Independent journalists from Egypt, Russia, Afghanistan also receive awards
The winner of the Independence Award is Egypt’s Lina Attalah, editor and co-founder of the online media outlet Mada Masr, one of the few independent news outlets in Egypt. Mada Masr has been blocked by government authorities in Egypt for the past three years. Rina is one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for 2020.
Lena said via video: “Independent journalism is a human right. What we’re doing at Mada Mars is just trying to make sure that people in Egypt still have access to independent and professional information, despite the many problems.”
The winner of the “Courage Award” is Irina L. Kovacs, an investigative journalist for the Russian Moscow weekly Novaya Gazeta. Elena Milashina, who specializes in reporting on Chechnya, has been a frequent target of personal attacks, death threats and content censorship. Elena’s article on the Chechen government’s mismanagement of the Wuhan pneumonia crisis was removed from the website in April, according to the organizers. But Elena continues to write about Chechnya’s most sensitive topics, and the content of her articles has not been compromised. Chechnya is an autonomous republic ruled with an iron fist by Ramzan Kadyrov,” she said in a video message.
I must say that this is not my first award for courage, however, I cannot take it for granted,” Elena said in a video message. Talent is not enough for a journalist to dig for the truth. Journalists must have the courage to put the facts in the light of day.”
The Impact Award was presented to Merman Radio, Afghanistan’s first radio station in Kandahar to promote the cause of Afghan women, which is comprised of 15 women who work to change public perceptions of gender, promote women’s candidacy for government positions, and work with other organizations to challenge gender-based violence. The problem. The station also provides journalism training for women and continues to broadcast despite threats from the Taliban and warnings from the national security services about possible attacks on journalists.
Since 1992, Reporters Without Borders has held an annual press freedom award ceremony to honor independent journalists who have been threatened or imprisoned for their work and who have courageously challenged those in power who abuse their power. Previously held at the French headquarters in Paris and Strasbourg, the ceremony moved to London for the first time in 2018 and to Berlin in 2019.
Recent Comments