Willie Phua

Who is Willie Phua?

Willie Phua is a Singaporean news cameramen who is known for his news and feature work covering poignant moments in Asian history over more than three decades. He is the subject of an Australian book published in 2010 called Capturing Asia, by former foreign correspondent Bob Wurth. During his years working on risky assignments, Phua captured many images of wars and uprisings, economic 'miracles' and social upheavals, and the rise and fall of dictators.

Phua's camerawork was seen in Australia through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, but his most important assignments were also shown around the world, sometimes on the BBC. He was one of the few TV cameramen to capture the "Tank Man" briefly holding back Chinese tanks near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989.