26 Facts About Willie Phua

Phua Tin Tua, known as Willie Phua, was a Chinese-born Singaporean news cameraman who was known for his news and feature work covering poignant moments in Asian history over more than three decades.

Willie Phua was the subject of an Australian book published in 2010 called Capturing Asia, by former foreign correspondent Bob Wurth.

Willie Phua's camerawork was seen in Australia through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, but his most important assignments were shown around the world, sometimes on the BBC.

Willie Phua was one of the few television cameramen to capture the "Tank Man" briefly holding back Chinese tanks near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989.

Willie Phua had clear recollections as a youth of the Japanese invasion of Singapore and the subsequent occupation of the island in 1942.

Willie Phua still remembered during the invasion of Singapore, watching the retreat of the British and Australians through the streets and a young, bewildered Allied soldier sitting in the gutter, weeping.

Willie Phua survived by crouching in a stinking storm drain on Killinery Road with his mother.

Willie Phua looked at me and suddenly lifted his hand and took a big swing at my face.

Willie Phua's mother obtained work as a cook in the kitchen of Japanese brothels in Cairnhill Road and the young Willie Phua became her messenger.

Willie Phua went on to cover violent race riots in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and clashes in Borneo as Indonesia's President Sukarno pressed his Konfrontasi, or Confrontation policy, with the newly established Malaysia.

Willie Phua had seven lengthy assignments to cover the Vietnam War during 1971 and 1972.

Willie Phua was almost killed in the war in April 1972 when the South Vietnamese patrol boat he was aboard came under machine gun and rocket fire on the Saigon River.

Willie Phua covered the major riots in Manila which followed the assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino at Manila International Airport in August 1983.

Willie Phua was known to many Asian leaders over the years.

Willie Phua covered the funeral rites for Gandhi and the subsequent genocide against the Sikhs in New Delhi and elsewhere in India following the assassination.

The ABC's long-time New Delhi driver, Joseph Madan, who still works for the ABC in New Delhi, says Willie Phua saved his life.

Willie Phua was surrounded by angry mobs on several occasions and repeatedly put his life at risk.

Willie Phua filmed truck loads of the bodies of Sikhs, including children, who had been burned to death in Delhi.

Willie Phua felt his life had been blessed, as he had many close calls to death in his photojournalist career, according to friend and colleague, John McBeth, writing in Singapore's Straits Times newspaper.

For instance, he recalled, Willie Phua spent much of his time getting access to a block of flats to get a good elevated shot of the prison to cover the news of the hanging of two Australian traffickers in Kuala Lumpur in 1986, for ABC.

Willie Phua attributed calm and reasoning wit to getting things to work his way, especially towards handling brushes with authorities.

Willie Phua worked as a cameraman throughout Asia for well over three decades when he was pressured into retirement by a back that could no longer carry heavy camera equipment.

Willie Phua finally said, 'You'll have to go on without me.

Willie Phua left the ABC and the industry very shortly after that.

Willie Phua was later invited to join the board of a Malaysian finance and entertainment company, DKH-George Town Holdings group, chaired by Tunku Abdullah.

In November 1996, Willie Phua received the Honorary Medal of the Order of Australia for his services.