The United States (US) honored 12 women from Colombia, Iraq, Libya, Myanmar, Vietnam and other countries who were awarded the “International Women of Courage Award,” or “Anugrah International Women of Courage” by the US Department of State on Monday. (14/3) for showing leadership and willingness to sacrifice for others.
This year’s award recipients include Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an environmental lawyer from Bangladesh; Simone Sibilio do Nascimento, one of Brazil’s most prominent prosecutors; Ei Thinzar Maung, Deputy Minister of Women, Youth and Children Affairs of the opposition pro-democracy group in Myanmar; Josefina Klinger Zúñiga, human rights and environmental defender from Colombia; Taif Sami Mohammed, Iraq’s Deputy Finance Minister known for fighting corruption; Facia Boyenoh Harris, who advocates for women’s rights and speaks out against gender-based violence in Liberia; Libya’s first female foreign minister, Najla Mangoush; Moldovan MP Doina Gherman, who promotes women’s inclusion; transgender activist Bhumika Shrestha from Nepal; Carmen Gheorghe, who promotes women’s rights in Romania; Roegchanda Pascoe, a crime prevention activist from South Africa; and Vietnam Phạm Doan Trang, imprisoned Vietnamese journalist.
Phạm Doan Trang did not attend the virtual awards ceremony on Monday (14/3), as he is still in prison. Pham Doan Trang is seen as a leading advocate for human rights, the rule of law and inclusiveness of all voices in the political space in Vietnam.
He was sentenced to nine years in prison on December 14, 2021, on charges of “creating, storing, distributing or disseminating information, documents and goods against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” according to Amnesty International.
“We condemn his unjust imprisonment. We call for his immediate release,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a ceremony on Monday (14/3).
Pham Chinh Truc is the brother of Pham Doan Trang. He attended the trial in December with their 81-year-old mother. Pham Chinh Truc told VOA that he objected at the trial and called the verdict “absolutely unreasonable and unacceptable.”
“Trang was punished under Article 88 of “Propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” he said in an interview with VOA. “As far as I know, this article has been criticized by many individuals, social organizations, and even the United Nations, which has asked the Vietnamese government to repeal this law for being too vague. The boundaries are not clear, but they have been used to arrest many who hold views that conflict with the views held by the party and the state.”
Phạm Doan Trang was a journalist at state media before deciding to write independently about democracy and free elections, according to advocacy group The 88 Project.
Myanmar Award Winner
Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced since the military coup that toppled Myanmar’s democratically elected government on February 1, 2021.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says the number of internally displaced persons in the country now stands at more than 800,000. About 440,000 more people have been displaced since the coup, adding to the 370,000 who had fled their homes previously.
This month, Myanmar’s junta revoked the citizenship of 16 prominent opposition figures, including senior members of the Government of National Unity (NUG), which is leading the fight against the military regime.
Ei Thinzar Maung was among the NUG members whose citizenship was revoked.
She was awarded the “International Women of Courage Award” from the State Department for her commitment to democracy and working for a strong, inclusive and democratic Myanmar that respects human rights.
“We will never give up. Democracy must be restored,” Ei Thinzar Maung said in a pre-recorded message. While forced into hiding due to torture and death threats, Ei Thinzar Maung continued to speak out against the 2021 military coup. She is the youngest woman to run for Myanmar’s general election in 2020.
An advocate for women’s and youth rights, Ei Thinzar Maung also advocates for ethnic minorities. He was beaten and jailed for more than a year after leading a 644-kilometer march from Mandalay to Yangon in 2015 to protest a national education law that excludes ethnic languages and restricts student unions. [lt/em]