Transparency International gave its 2013 Integrity Award to Chinese journalist Luo Changping and Angolan human rights activist and journalist Rafael Marques de Morais.
The award was launched in 2000 to honor journalists, government officials, and civil society leaders who act on the belief that corruption can be challenged.
Past winners include Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickremantunge and Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky — both killed during their fight to expose graft.
‘The two [2013] winners exemplify in every way the courage and determination of the many individuals and organisations confronting corruption around the world, often at great personal risk,’ TI said.
Chinese journalist Luo Changping has written about government corruption in his books and news reporting, and through his personal blog.
TI said,
When the respected financial magazine Luo works for was reluctant to print the name of a high-ranking official accused of illegal financial dealings, he bravely decided to publish the full allegations, including the official’s name. His naming of the official, Liu Tienan, eventually led to a government investigation resulting in Liu’s dismissal from the party and removal from public office in 2013.
In May this year, Luo famously compared corruption to terrorism, saying both ‘can cause widespread public alarm.’ If graft is left unchecked, he said, the problem can spread to the point where no segment of society is safe.
Rafael Marques de Morais was jailed in Angola in 1999 after exposing government corruption and embezzlement in a newspaper article. Despite detention and harassment, Marques continued to expose corrupt practices by those in power, TI said.
‘He has written extensively on the trade in conflict diamonds and corruption in the oil industry. Through his blog Maka Angola he has become the authoritative voice on corruption in his country,’ TI said.
Eleven individuals from various countries sit on the Integrity Award jury. TI, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, said this year’s nominations came from from the public and Transparency International chapters around the world.
The two winners received their awards Friday, when TI also marked the 20th anniversary of its founding.
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Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.
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