Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

(Aung San Suu Kyi  with Human Rights Logo)

Now rapidly opening up Burma/Myanmar is going to have for the first time an international film festival dedicated to human rights. It will feature documentaries, animations and shorts dedicated to messages of tolerance, mutual understanding, and resistance in the face of tyranny and will take place at cinemas in the capital Yangon from 15-19 June 2013. “The concept of ‘human rights’ is a new one for many people here,” says festival founder and independent Burmese filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi (best known for his 2010 documentary The Floating Tomatoes). “Through the power of cinema, we hope to show what this is, why it is important and show our audience that similar struggles against human rights abuses have been fought in other countries around the world.” Min Htin says he was inspired to create the festival after attending the One World International Documentary Film Festival in Prague in 2012. “As Myanmar is heading toward its transition to democracy, people’s empowerment is one of the most important components in this process,” he added. After the the festival the films will be taken on a road show to 13 rural villages.