Harry Burton (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Harry Burton was an Australia
n journalist
and cameraman who was kidnapped by the Taliban on the highway to Kabul
, Afghanistan
and then murdered. Three other journalists suffered the same fate.
Burton, 33-year-old when he was killed, was a latecomer to journalism and quit his job three years earlier in Melbourne
to get involved in the profession. A scholarship fund was set up in his name by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club
to support training for reporters from remote parts of Indonesia
, particularly camera operators.
and studied agricultural sciences at what was Dookie
Agricultural College later to become part of Melbourne University .
He had worked in Indonesia earlier in 2001 covering the Free Aceh Movement
and the conflict in East Timor
for the Reuters
agency. He decided to go to Jakarta
without any previous experience and try his hand at becoming a photo journalist. Prior to that he worked as a Quality Manager for Coles Myer. His breakthrough came in his coverage of the final months of the Indonesian occupation of East Timor
that August. He ran the Reuters television bureau in Dili
after the former Portuguese colony voted for independence.
He was one of 19 journalists taken hostage in the Fiji coup of 2000 by the leader of the coup, George Speight
. After his release he was made a full time cameraman by Reuters in January 2000.
to Kabul
, just a few days after the Taliban fell, when his convoy was stopped and passengers ordered to get out. He was killed with three other journalists, Julio Fuentes of the Spanish paper El Mundo
, Azizullah Haidari of Reuters, and Maria Grazia Cutuli of Italy
's Corriere della Sera
. Their mutilated bodies were found on 19 November. Burton was buried in Hobart
on 28 November 2001.
court sentenced three men to death for these murders in 2004 and 2005 respectively. Two brothers, Mahmood Zar Jan and Abdul Wahid, were sentenced in 2005 and another, Reza Khan, was sentenced to death on 20 November 2004.
photography award named in his son's honour.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and cameraman who was kidnapped by the Taliban on the highway to Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and then murdered. Three other journalists suffered the same fate.
Burton, 33-year-old when he was killed, was a latecomer to journalism and quit his job three years earlier in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to get involved in the profession. A scholarship fund was set up in his name by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club
Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club
The Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club is a non-profit organization for international journalists in Indonesia.The group has more than 250 members and 50 foreign media organizations . Its members include foreign journalists, Indonesian journalists, diplomats, analysts, business people and...
to support training for reporters from remote parts of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, particularly camera operators.
Biography
Burton was born in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and studied agricultural sciences at what was Dookie
Dookie
Dookie is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released on February 1, 1994 through Reprise Records. It was the band's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo and its major record label debut. Dookie became a worldwide commercial success, peaking at number...
Agricultural College later to become part of Melbourne University .
He had worked in Indonesia earlier in 2001 covering the Free Aceh Movement
Free Aceh Movement
The Free Aceh Movement , also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front , was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives...
and the conflict in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
for the Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
agency. He decided to go to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
without any previous experience and try his hand at becoming a photo journalist. Prior to that he worked as a Quality Manager for Coles Myer. His breakthrough came in his coverage of the final months of the Indonesian occupation of East Timor
Indonesian occupation of East Timor
Indonesia occupied East Timor from December 1975 to October 1999. After centuries of Portuguese colonial rule in East Timor, a 1974 coup in Portugal led to decolonization among its former colonies, creating instability in East Timor and leaving its future uncertain...
that August. He ran the Reuters television bureau in Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
after the former Portuguese colony voted for independence.
He was one of 19 journalists taken hostage in the Fiji coup of 2000 by the leader of the coup, George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...
. After his release he was made a full time cameraman by Reuters in January 2000.
Death
Burton moved to Afghanistan to cover the ongoing conflict there, working for Reuters at the time. On November of that year he was riding in a Jeep from JalalabadJalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
to Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, just a few days after the Taliban fell, when his convoy was stopped and passengers ordered to get out. He was killed with three other journalists, Julio Fuentes of the Spanish paper El Mundo
El Mundo (Spain)
El Mundo is the second largest printed and the largest digital daily newspaper in Spain and one of the newspapers of record in that country, with a daily circulation topping 300,000 readers for the printed edition and 24 million unique web visitors per month for the...
, Azizullah Haidari of Reuters, and Maria Grazia Cutuli of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's Corriere della Sera
Corriere della Sera
The Corriere della Sera is an Italian daily newspaper, published in Milan.It is among the oldest and most reputable Italian newspapers. Its main rivals are Rome's La Repubblica and Turin's La Stampa.- History :...
. Their mutilated bodies were found on 19 November. Burton was buried in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
on 28 November 2001.
Murder trial
A KabulKabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
court sentenced three men to death for these murders in 2004 and 2005 respectively. Two brothers, Mahmood Zar Jan and Abdul Wahid, were sentenced in 2005 and another, Reza Khan, was sentenced to death on 20 November 2004.
Family
Burton has four sisters and three brothers. His partner Joanne Collins is also a journalist. His father Harry(Sr)is a Scientist and his mother Anne, who predeceased her son, was a Social Worker. Harry Burton (Sr) was a judge for the ADFAustralian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
photography award named in his son's honour.