Veteran diplomat Tommy Koh wins Ramon Magsaysay Award
The award foundation hailed Professor Tommy Koh as an exemplary leader in international diplomacy who spent decades advancing dialogue and peaceful resolutions among nations.
New: You can now listen to articles.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
SINGAPORE: Veteran diplomat and lawyer Tommy Koh, 88, has won the Ramon Magsaysay Award, which is regarded as Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize.
Prof Koh was one of three recipients named by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) on Monday (Aug 31).
The foundation hailed Prof Koh as an exemplary leader in international diplomacy who spent decades advancing dialogue and peaceful resolutions among nations.
“He played a pivotal role in the negotiations that culminated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, helping establish a framework for the equitable and peaceful use of the world’s oceans,” it said.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
RMAF also noted that Prof Koh’s services extended beyond diplomacy as his work in academia, public policy, the arts and civic institutions in Singapore and beyond shaped generations of leaders.
“Through his steadfast faith in dialogue, the rule of law, and international cooperation, he has helped make peaceful coexistence possible in a world of unequal power,” it said.
Prof Koh served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for 55 years, holding positions such as Singapore’s permanent representative to the United Nations and ambassador to the US.
He was also MFA’s Ambassador-at-Large before he retired from the ministry this month.
“Building more than treaties and institutions, Koh has shaped generations of leaders, scholars and public servants, leaving a legacy that extends through universities, policy institutes, museums and the countless lives mentored,” said RMAF.
“Through all this, he has found the courage to speak out for the right and just.”
Prof Koh is the fourth Singaporean to receive the award since it was established in 1957 in memory of its namesake Filipino President Ramon Magsaysay. It was previously awarded to then Minister for National Development Lim Kim San in 1965, then Minister for Defence Goh Keng Swee in 1972 and Willing Hearts founder Tony Tay in 2017.
The Singapore Embassy in Manila congratulated Prof Koh, hailing his win as a “significant recognition”.
“We are so proud that Professor Tommy Koh of Singapore has received this,” it said in a Facebook post on Monday.
OTHER RECIPIENTS
The other two winners are Myanmar activist Bo Kyi, 61 and Bangladeshi teacher Runa Khan.
Mr Bo Kyi, whose group documents human rights atrocities, was recognised for his efforts to defend political prisoners and “human dignity” in Myanmar.
He had been arrested twice and spent seven years in prison for defending democracy and resisting widespread human rights violations by Myanmar’s military.
In March 2000, he worked with fellow former political prisoners to organise the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which has “devoted itself to documenting political imprisonment, supporting detainees and their families and ensuring the continued visibility of the junta’s political prisoners in Myanmar and around the world”, RMAF said.
He has demanded the release of all political prisoners in his country, including former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and helped raise funds to support the detainees and their families, it said.
Meanwhile, Ms Khan won the award for “her profound empathy for the poorest of the poor in her country”.
Coming from an affluent family, she first served as a teacher to poor children in 1979.
In 2002, she established an organisation called “Friendship Bangladesh” that helped the most destitute “deal with climate change, educate their children, empower women, create livelihood opportunities and bring social justice to the excluded,” said RMAF.
The 67-year-old’s group now employs more than 7,500 people, with seven hospital ships, two land-based hospitals and 550 mobile clinics, it said.
“In her hands, privilege became not an entitlement, but a responsibility; not a family legacy to protect, but a gift to be shared so that others, too, might have the chance to live with hope, opportunity and dignity,” the foundation said.
The winners will be recognised at the Metropolitan Theatre in Manila on Nov 15 with a medallion, an inscribed certificate and an undisclosed cash prize.
Source: CNA/AP/rl
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
