Humanitarian doctor to receive 2013 Sydney Peace
Prize
Dr Cynthia Maung, founder of the Mae Tao
Clinic on the Thai-Burmese border, will be the recipient of
the 2013 Sydney Peace Prize to be awarded in Sydney on 7
November.
The Sydney Peace Prize Jury's citation
reads: "Dr Maung: for her dedication to multi-ethnic
democracy, human rights and the dignity of the poor and
dispossessed, and for establishing health services for
victims of conflict."
Dr Maung, ethnic Karen, fled
her native Burma during the pro-democracy uprising of 1988
and set up the Mae Tao Clinic on the Thai-Burmese border,
where each year 700 staff treat over 150,000 people
including refugees, migrant workers and orphans.
Professor Stuart Rees, Chair of the Sydney Peace
Foundation said: "What Dr Cynthia has achieved against the
odds really impressed the jury. Her selflessness and the
notion that justice is about not financially penalising
people for being sick, that healthcare shouldn't be a
commercial proposition, affected them greatly."
Dr
Maung has responded: "The prize is a way of bringing
international attention to the plight of Burma. It
highlights that the peace process needs to be monitored by
the international community. It's not going to be a
gift."
The Sydney Peace Prize is Australia's
only international award for peace. Sometimes perceived as
controversial, previous recipients have included Professor
Muhammad Yunus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former President of
Ireland Mary Robinson, Australia's 'Father of
Reconciliation' Patrick Dodson, Professor Noam Chomsky and
last year the formidable Senator Sekai Holland
Singapore Airlines, a Partner in Peace, will fly Dr
Maung to Australia for the first week of November to deliver
the annual City of Sydney Peace Prize Lecture in the Sydney
Town Hall on Wednesday 6 November and receive the 2013 Peace
Prize ($50,000 and a trophy crafted by the artist in glass
Brian Hirst) at a Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony at
MacLaurin Hall, University of Sydney on Thursday 7
November.
ends
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