Indonesian investigative journalist wins AFP prize

Indonesian journalist Stefanus Teguh Edi Pramono has won the Agence France-Presse Kate Webb Prize for his reporting on Syria's bloody civil war and the Jakarta drugs trade, the AFP Foundation announced Wednesday. Pramono, 31, produced his work for Tempo, a respected media group that rose to prominence with its daring reporting during Indonesian dictator Suharto's more than three decades in power. "I am not a brave person, I was often in a cold sweat when I was in Syria and in west Jakarta (for the drugs story), but it is just something that I have to do," he said from Jakarta. The Kate Webb Prize was launched in 2008 in honour of the AFP correspondent in Asia who blazed a trail for women in international journalism. The prize recognises exceptional work produced by locally hired Asian journalists operating in dangerous or difficult circumstances. Pramono will receive 3,000 euros ($3,900). "Pram is a young journalist who is clearly determined to uncover important stories, even if it means putting himself at risk of injury or attack," said Gilles Campion, AFP's Asia-Pacific regional director. "I am delighted that such a worthy and enterprising reporter from the region has won the Kate Webb Prize." Pramono's trip to Syria last year was his first to the Middle East and he had no knowledge of Arabic, but he nevertheless succeeded in producing a series of exceptional articles and accompanying photos. In his undercover work on the Jakarta narcotics trade in 2012, Pramono and a colleague managed to infiltrate the notorious Kampung Ambon district, from where many drug dealers run their businesses. Pramono has also exposed corrupt politicians during his seven years at the Tempo group, whose publications include an Indonesian-language magazine, a daily newspaper and English-language magazine. He is currently assigned to the newspaper. Hermien Y. Kleden, an executive editor at Tempo's English magazine, said: "He is one of our best journalists. He is a quiet person and a great observer... I think he deserves the award." Webb, who died in 2007 aged 64, was one of the finest correspondents to have worked for AFP, earning a reputation for bravery while covering wars and other historic events in the Asia-Pacific region over a career spanning four decades. She first made her name as a UPI correspondent in the Vietnam War prior to assignments in other parts of Southeast Asia as well as India and the Middle East with AFP. The prize is administered by the AFP Foundation, a non-profit organisation that promotes higher standards of journalism worldwide, and the Webb family.