The Times of India, July 25th. 2000

MANILA: Two Indians, an Indonesian, a Chinese and a Filipino have been awarded this year's Ramon Magsaysay awards for public service, the board of trustees announced Tuesday.

Aruna Roy, based in Rajasthan, was given the community leadership award for "empowering Indian villagers to claim what is rightfully theirs by upholding and exercising the people's right to information'', the board said.

Jockin Arputham, founder of the Indian National Slum Dwellers Federation, was given the award for international understanding, while Jesse M Robredo, a former mayor of the Philippine city of Naga, received the government service award.

Atmakusumah Astraatmadja, the head of the Dr Soetomo Press Institute in Jakarta, received the award for journalism for his efforts to lay the institutional and professional foundations for a new era of press freedom in Indonesia, the board said.

And Liang Congjie, who founded China's first environmental NGO, received the award for public service. The awards, named after former Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay, are awarded annually to Asians who have excelled in public service. (Reuters)

   See the Award Presentation   HERE