Dr. Cynthia Maung Accepts Okinawa Peace Prize, Calls for Urgent Safeguards for Civilians and Health Workers
Dr. Cynthia Maung, founder of the renowned Mae Tao Clinic, has issued an urgent plea for stronger international safeguards to protect civilians, healthcare personnel, humanitarian responders, and human rights activists operating amid Myanmar’s ongoing political and humanitarian crisis.
She delivered the call while accepting the 13th Okinawa Peace Prize during an award ceremony in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, on October 19.
Dr. Cynthia emphasized that protecting frontline responders and vulnerable communities is vital to alleviating human suffering and building the foundation for a future federal democratic union in Myanmar.
“We are calling for stronger protection for civilians, health workers, humanitarian aid workers, journalists, and everyone who risks their lives to protect their communities,” she stated in her acceptance speech.
She also underscored the need for seamless collaboration between government authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based groups, and healthcare providers to ensure uninterrupted medical services for displaced populations along border regions.
Awarded biennially since 2001 by Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture, the Okinawa Peace Prize honors individuals and organizations that make outstanding contributions to peacebuilding in the Asia-Pacific region.
Okinawa officials selected the Mae Tao Clinic in August in recognition of its decades-long mission providing free medical care to conflict-displaced refugees and migrant workers along the Thailand-Myanmar border.
The award includes a cash prize of 10 million Japanese yen (equivalent to over 2 million Thai baht).
Dr. Cynthia previously said the funds will be used for youth leadership development, organizational capacity building, and sustaining essential border healthcare operations.
Dr. Cynthia and her delegation arrived in Japan last week. Ahead of the ceremony, they attended a formal parliamentary discussion on Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement at the Japanese National Diet in Tokyo on October 16.
