The Kenji Nagai Award for Journalism was announced at the Burma Media Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand this week. The Burma Media Association created the award to honour the Japanese video journalist who was killed on the streets of Rangoon by a Burmese soldier during the saffron revolution of September, 2007. The inaugral award goes to imprisoned reporter Eint Khaing Oo, who reported the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis in May, 2008 for the Eco-vision journal,

She was arrested on June 10 last year while covering a peaceful rally by Nargis victims. Police accused her of taking photos of the victims with the intention of sending those pictures to foreign media.

Eint Khaing was charged with committing a crime against public tranquility and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. According to her lawyer, Khin Maung Shein, she was merely doing her job. The news she reported was based on trustworthy sources and she did not send false news reports to other agencies. She is now in the notorious Insein Prison. link

Photograph of Eint Khaing Oo taken from Reporters without borders.

What appears to be footage of the Japanese photojournalist, 50 year old Kenji Nagai shot dead on the streets of Rangoon yesterday. Nagai was working for the Tokyo based APF video and photo agency. Killed for taking photos of protesters and soldiers. Here is an emailed tribute to Kenji Nagai on ko htike’s blog,

On behalf of the Burmese people I salute the courage of Mr Kenji Nagai, a Japanese journalist employed by the APF Tsushin based in Tokyo, who scarified his life whilst recording media footage of gun shots to educate the global citizens. link

UPDATE: Japan seeks the truth behind Kenji Nagai’s death,

Japan may suspend humanitarian aid to Myanmar once it has established the facts behind the killing of a Japanese photographer during anti-government protests, the top government spokesman said on Friday… …Photographer Kenji Nagai, 50, was shot dead on a Yangon street on Thursday. Pictures smuggled out of the country showed him taking photos with a small camera even as he lay dying… Quoting embassy doctors who examined the body on Thursday, Machimura said the bullet that killed Nagai had passed from the right side of his chest through the heart and back. link

UPDATE: 23:17 Paris time – more footage of what appears to be Burmese troops carrying away the body of Kenji Nagai. UPDATE 09:16 29 Sept, 2007. From The Hindustan Times,

Foreign Minister Nyan Win offered apologies, Kyodo news agency said on Saturday… The death of Nagai "was extremely regrettable and we will lodge a stern protest," Japanese officials quoted Komura as telling Nyan Win, Kyodo said. Nyan Win told Komura he was indeed sorry for the death, telling Japanese officials: "Demonstrations are beginning to calm down, and we would also like to exercise restraint," Kyodo said. link