MANILA: A Cambodian who has devoted his life to documenting the killing of almost two million of his countrymen in the 1970s was named on Thursday among the winners of this year’s Magsaysay Awards, widely regarded as Asia’s version of the Nobel prize.

Youk Chhang, 57, was given the award for his role as head for more than two decades of the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, an institute that investigates atrocities committed under the Khmer Rouge.

The Khmer Rouge was a murderous, ultra-Maoist organisation that killed one quarter of Cambodia’s population from 1975 to 1979.

The Manila-based Ramon Magsaysay Award, named after a Filipino president killed in a plane crash, was established in 1957 to honour people and groups tackling development problems.

Two Indians were also honoured this year: Sonam Wangchuk, 51, who promotes alternative education systems in his home Himalayan region Ladakh; and Bharat Vatwani, 60, a psychiatrist who started a foundation to rescue people living on the streets with mental health problems.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2018