A SINGAPOREAN diplomat, a Bangladeshi humanitarian and a Myanmar democracy activist were named recipients of the 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Award on Monday, Aug. 31, for their work in diplomacy, healthcare and human rights.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) named diplomat Tommy Koh of Singapore, humanitarian Runa Khan of Bangladesh and activist Bo Kyi of Myanmar as this year’s recipients of “Asia’s premier prize and highest honor.”
Koh was recognized for his career in diplomacy and international law and as a negotiator who “brought countries of very different interests toward common ground.”
The foundation highlighted his role in negotiations for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and his contributions to Singapore’s arts, culture and heritage.
“At the heart of his work is a vocation that has remained constant through the many roads he has taken on: that of a teacher,” RMAF said.
Khan was honored for bringing essential services to remote communities in Bangladesh, including through a “floating hospital” that provides healthcare to communities along the country’s rivers.
She also founded the nongovernmental organization Friendship to serve marginalized and hard-to-reach communities whose needs extended beyond healthcare.
“For Runa Khan, perhaps that is what it means to reach someone, not simply to bring these services closer, but to make sure that distance never takes away their dignity,” the foundation said.
Bo Kyi was recognized for documenting the experiences of political prisoners and advocating for their release.
A student activist during Myanmar’s 1988 democracy movement, Bo Kyi was himself imprisoned for his political beliefs.
Drawing from his experience, he helped establish the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a human rights organization advocating for political prisoners in Myanmar.
“Their stories are recorded, their families are supported, and their experiences are brought beyond the walls that were meant to contain them,” RMAF said.
In an interview with the Varsitarian, RMAF President Susan Afan said the three awardees shared a “greatness of spirit” that guided them to work for communities beyond themselves.
“They had what we call greatness of spirit, which is they had that moral compass. It’s that moral compass of constantly choosing what is right for the bigger community and not just for yourself,” Afan said.
She said the foundation wanted the award to inspire people across Asia to “develop better solutions” and “ignite more action” in addressing the region’s problems.
Afan also stressed the role of the youth in keeping the award relevant, saying the foundation was working toward a “full-blown gallery and knowledge center” where people could learn from the stories of its laureates and exchange ideas.
The awardees were selected following research by the foundation and an assessment of how they embodied the values associated with Ramon Magsaysay, the former Philippine president after whom the award is named.
Established in 1957 by trustees of the New York-based Rockefeller Brothers Fund with the concurrence of the Philippine government, RMAF presented the first Ramon Magsaysay Awards in 1958. Tatyana Sabeerah R. Maranan with reports from Paolo Emmanuel DC. Blanco
