Dalai Lama hails courage of Nobel Peace Prize-winning scribes Maria Ressa & Dmitry Muratov

Dalai Lama on Saturday, October 9, hailed both journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for winning bel Prize and standing against dictatorial rule in ir countries amid challenges. On October 8, a Swizterland based foundation,  rwegian bel Committee anunced that  2021 bel Peace Prize will be awarded to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for ir efforts to defend freedom of expression. 

Furr expressing happiness over two journalists winning award, Dalai Lama said he was happy to learn that this year's prize had been given to two journalists for ir efforts to safeguard freedom of expression and freedom of press in Philippines and Russia. He added that by giving award to journalists, bel Committee has houred all journalists across world, who risk ir lives by standing up for this ideal under challenging conditions.

Stating that he admires cour of both journalist, spiritual leader said, "Journalists have a key role to play in promoting human values and a sense of social and religious harmony."

He added, "Freedom of expression and freedom of press is crucial to our being able to promote harmony and friendship between nations, disarmament and a more peaceful world order."

bel Peace Prize 2021

Maria Ressa exposes abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country, Philippines by using freedom of expression. She co-founded a digital media company for investigative journalism, Rappler,  in 2012, which she still heads. As a journalist and Rappler’s CEO, Ressa has always been fearless in standing by right to express and speak without barriers or restrictions. Rappler has majorly focused on Duterte regime’s controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign. 

While for several decades, Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov has defended freedom of speech in Russia amid challenging conditions. He was one of founders of independent newspaper vaja Gazeta in 1993. He n worked as newspaper's editor-in-chief for a total of 24 years. As of today, vaja Gazeta is most independent newspaper in Russia with a fundamentally critical attitude towards power.

(With PTI input)

(Im: AP)