As the World Newspaper Congress comes to an end, AFP announced in Bangkok that Pramono, 31, was the winner of the annual prize, worth 3,000 euros (about 3,900 USD) for a series of stories and photos on the war in Syria and for his daring undercover assignment into the notorious narcotics world of the Kampung Ambon district.

The award of the Kate Webb prize to Pramono, a Bahasa-language reporter who works for Indonesia’s Tempo media group, is the fourth since the launch of the award, which rewards locally-engaged Asian journalists for exceptional work produced while operating in dangerous or difficult circumstances.

The award was named in honour of Kate Webb, who earned a reputation as a fearless reporter while covering wars and other historic events in Asia during a career spanning four decades. She made her name in Vietnam and also worked in Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, India, South Korea and the Middle East. She was known for her kindness and compassion and became a mentor to younger Asian journalists.

The prize is administered by the AFP Foundation – a non-profit-making organisation set up to promote press freedom through training journalists in developing countries – and by the Webb family.