Myanmar’s former president Thein Sein, who led the nation’s transformational government that initiated the transition from military rule to democracy, received the Grand Prize at Asia Cosmopolitan Awards held at Nara Kasugano International Forum IRAKA in Nara city, Japan on January 15.
Thein Sein was selected as the recipient of the Grand Prize for his committed contributions to the country’s reform efforts. The biennial awards ceremony was held for the third time and Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, former secretary-general of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), presented the award to the ex-Myanmar president. A total of more than 500 individuals including diplomats and prominent professionals from different fields attended the event.
Given to individuals or organisations that have made significant positive impacts on the peace and stability of East Asia, the Grand Prize is one of three presented at Asia Cosmopolitan Awards with other two being the Economic and Social Science Prize and the Cultural Prize. The Grand Prize has the highest prestige and its previous winners include former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Professor Masahisa Fujita of Konan University in Kobe, Japan received the Economic and Social Science Prize in recognition of his work in the field of spatial geography while the Cultural Prize went to HE Herman Van Rompuy, a gifted Haiku poet who is the first full time president of the European Council, for his Haiku poetry. The Economic and Social Science Prize is to recognise individuals and organisations contributing to the betterment of Asia in the economic or social science fields. The Cultural Prize is awarded to those contributing to the betterment of Asia in the cultural field.
Thein Sein, who once commented that promotion of human resources will be a key to Myanmar’s development, said during the acceptance speech that the growing democratisation in the country has led to increased acknowledgement from international community and lifting of all sanctions by the United States. Thein Sein served as the 8th president of Myanmar from 2011 to 2016 and was the first person to come to presidency in the post-military rule, becoming the first president in the era of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar established by the current constitution.
Asia Cosmopolitan Awards was created by Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
