Oudom Tat, Cambodia

When Oudom Tat was a child growing up in Phnom Penh, he had a job as a paperboy. It sparked at interest in journalism that has never let him go. Today he works at Voice of Democracy Radio, one of the few radio stations in the country that dares criticize the Cambodian government and covers sensitive issues that officials would rather remain unreported.

While now in radio, Oudom enjoys working with images in addition to writing and news reporting. He has a special interest in human rights given that his country’s leaders show little respect for them. He hopes his work can help turn that around. He also frequently covers the nation’s booming garment sector. It is the motor of the economy, but for those who work on garment factory floors, life is hard.

Oudom’s finalist entry, filmed and produced with Heather Stilwell, focuses on a highly publicized 2012 incident in Cambodia when a town governor, Chhouk Bandith, shot on unarmed workers who were protesting for higher wages at the Kaoway factory, a supplier of the German company Puma. Three women were wounded, one seriously. While it was widely known who pulled the trigger, charges were dropped against the well-connected man. He was tried only in June this year, but never showed up in court. He was given a light sentence, but is still on the run. The case shows the culture of impunity in Cambodia for a small, powerful elite.