Visa d'Or News winner: "I hope the world will continue to take an interest in what is happening in Burma"
On March 16, 2021, demonstrators threw molotov cocktails to occupy the road.
A photo of the 2021 Visa d'or News award winner on Burma's Spring Revolution.
© Winner of the Visa d'or News
Text by: Clea Broadhurst
10 mins
The Visa pour l'Image international photojournalism festival this year awarded the Visa d'Or News Prize to a Burmese photographer who remained anonymous for security reasons, contributing in particular to The New York Times.
This prize rewards his work on the spring revolution in Burma.
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Burma has been in turmoil since the coup d'état perpetrated by the army on February 1, 2021. Since then, protests and deadly repression have shaken the country.
If the army initially showed restraint in the face of peaceful demonstrators, it ended up violently repressing the protest led by the civil disobedience movement, to crush pro-democracy supporters.
Interview with the Visa d'or News 2021 winner photographer.
RFI
: What happened on the day of the coup for you
?
Anonymous photographer
:
A few days before February 1, we were hearing rumors that the military could take power, that it could happen, but we thought it was impossible, that it would be madness.
But that morning my colleague called me around six in the morning to tell me that there had been a coup.
I didn't want to believe it.
Despite the shock I felt, I knew it was true.
The first thing I did was delete all the "sensitive" posts from my various social media accounts, because I immediately thought about the safety of my family.
Very quickly they started arresting people. Then we had to think about withdrawing money, we knew that the banks were going to run out of cash, as is often the case in this kind of situation. So after tidying up our house, hiding the hard drives, my wife and I went to stock up, look for money, basic necessities and we spent half a day doing that, because there was a lot of food. long queues everywhere. Everyone was panicking in the streets.
At this point, I wasn't sure if I could keep doing my job, if I could take pictures or not, but I saw a scene that I will never forget: a group of pro-military people came out of it. 'a building, there were hundreds of them, dancing, laughing, echoing nationalist songs, it was really strange.
At that point, I started taking pictures from my car, then I said to myself that I absolutely had to keep going.
It was the first day, I continued for the next three months to take pictures every day.
On March 14, 2021, people carry a man with a gunshot wound.
A photo of the 2021 Visa d'or News award winner on Burma's Spring Revolution.
© Winner of the Visa d'or News
What struck you the most about covering these protests
?
There were several highlights, especially in the confusion of the first few days, but I would say that one of the first things that struck me was in the evening, around 8 p.m., when everyone got together. making noise with metal objects.
My wife was also participating and it really gave me chills.
Then in the streets, while before the coup there were many portraits of Aung San Suu Kyi, which still dated from the November 2020 election, little by little, we saw less and less, they started to disappear.
From the second day I saw people folding and putting away the national flag, it was a weird feeling.
Then the protests started.
During one of them, a famous activist came, with the workers, they started to protest and then there was a police blockade, we did not really know if there was going to be some form of repression or not.
We all know the rest.
What do you think of the follow-up to the international media coverage of what is happening in Burma
?
At first the whole world covered a lot of the events, then also when the repression fell and people died. But by the end of April, there was hardly anything left in the streets, because the repression had become too intense: I don't even remember the number of deaths I photographed, but I would say at least dozens, without count the wounded, the funerals. It then became too violent and everyone was arrested, beaten by the authorities, journalists were intimidated, beating or arresting them.
International media coverage has decreased, but it is also because it has become extremely complicated to work, to cover what is happening, even for us journalists who are there. For the past few months, it has been impossible for me to go out with my camera, even to take pictures of famous temples or street markets. At one point, I wanted to do a subject about everyday life in my neighborhood and even that, it was impossible.
The lack of attention from the international community is not a good sign, but people continue to fight, they do “flashmobs” to show that the struggle persists.
They warn the journalists, they meet in a secret way and make a mini demonstration in the middle of the city, for three minutes, even less sometimes, then they run away as soon as the media have taken their photos.
But even that is very difficult to do because of the repression.
On February 7, 2021 in Yangon, people observe thousands of people demonstrating in the city center.
A photo of the 2021 Visa d'or News award winner on Burma's Spring Revolution.
© Winner of the Visa d'or News
Much of the movement is now in hiding, everything is being done underground now. Many militants went into hiding, or went to the jungle to join ethnic groups in order to receive military training to be able to fight against the ruling power. Activists think it is time to take up arms, but keep in mind that the Burmese army is very powerful. Right now in Yangon, we hear small explosions from time to time, before this never happened, it is the first time that there are explosions of this kind in the city.
The soldiers organize raids in the neighborhoods at night to find the people they are looking for, and they arrest anyone they think is suspicious: sometimes they take someone away and the family only hears later, often for the find lifeless.
Today, what makes everyone uncomfortable are the checks at roadblocks.
As soon as there is an explosion, they block the whole neighborhood and they inspect everyone's cellphones, they check if a clue could connect people to the underground movement, even if it is your posts on the networks. social pro-demonstrations, or supporting the government in exile, so everyone is really scared.
On top of all this, we are also hit by the Covid, without hospitals, without healthcare coverage, so it's an additional nightmare.
What is your greatest fear for your country today
?
The army is not going to relinquish power, but at the same time, the youth today is not the same as in previous uprisings.
Young people have experienced more than ten years of democracy and freedom, we have had the Internet since all this time.
Everyone is connected.
Before it was easy to keep people in the dark, but today it is impossible to completely shut down the internet, the younger generation is very active and it is supported by the older generations.
I don't think people accept what is happening so my fear is that we will end up in a dead end, because no one, whether it is the army or the Burmese people, is going to give up arms, give in or give up the fight.
So I fear that our country will be even more damaged.
There is going to be more sacrifice and more suffering.
But in a way, one positive thing comes out of all of this: people are realizing the manipulations that took place years ago;
certain subjects are at the heart of the debates, such as, for example, the fate of the Rohingyas.
Finally, people seem much more united now.
Your photos are exhibited in Perpignan this year, showing that things are still happening in your country
: how necessary is it to put Burma back at the heart of the discussions
?
I am very happy that my photos are exhibited at this festival, and I have been told that the people who visit the exhibition read the captions, take the time to read and understand the situation.
Visa pour l'image is very well known in our industry, moreover media in Burma have spoken about it, and in the comments that people leave, we feel that they are happy that the world can witness this. that is happening in our country.
The Burmese were desperate for the international community to do something. I remember certain signs during demonstrations calling for the coming of the United Nations, or the intervention of the United States. But sadly, many realized that no one was coming anytime soon. Somehow, it's good: it makes us realize that we have to take things in hand ourselves. We have to fight for what we believe in and that is a good thing. Some people keep on screaming, in a way, that the outside world does not forget us and keep in mind that the struggle continues in Burma. Of course it would be better to see the media covering the situation all the time. As a journalist, I know full well that if the story gets too repetitive,we cover it less, but there is always the possibility of dealing with substantive subjects, it is possible.
I hope the whole world will continue to take an interest in what is happening in Burma, because atrocities are happening there, people are dying, always.
The future of our country is bleak and uncertain.
We must pay attention to it now before it is too late.
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