It’s three doctors and a river man at this year’s Asian Nobel Prize

It’s three doctors and a river man at this year’s Asian Nobel Prize

Four champions of the poor in Asia have been selected for the 2022 Ramon Magsaysay Awards honoring their extraordinary contributions toward transforming human lives and societies.

The Ramon Magsaysay Foundation named its four winners for 2022 on Wednesday. Cambodian psychiatrist Sotheara Chhim is a leading voice in tackling trauma syndrome, particularly for the victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide. The 54-year-old Chhim is himself a survivor of the murderous regime and has devoted his life to helping people who suffered “baksbat” — broken courage – a syndrome seen in Cambodia that is similar to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Japanese ophthalmologist Tadashi Hattori has provided free eye treatment, trained doctors, and donated equipment and supplies to hospitals in Vietnam to battle cataract blindness which is widespread in the country amid a lack of specialists and treatment facilities.

Filipino doctor and child rights activist Bernadette J. Madrid runs a foundation that supports the training of child protection professionals and the development of women and child protection units in the Philippines.

Gary Bencheghib is an Indonesia-based French filmmaker and environmentalist. He has been selected for his efforts in saving the Citarum River, one of the most polluted rivers in the world. He and his brother made kayaks made of plastic bottles and bamboo to collect trash. The winners will receive the awards during a ceremony in Manila on November 30. 

People in Catholic-majority Timor-Leste cheered as Pope Francis made Salesian Archbishop Dom Virgilio do Carmo da Silva the first cardinal of the country. The pope created 20 new cardinals including six from Asia along with the 54-year-old archbishop of Dili during a consistory in the Vatican on Saturday.

Cardinal da Silva said his elevation to the College of Cardinals is a moment of great joy, not only for himself but also for the Church and Timorese people.

A Timorese delegation led by President Jose Ramos-Horta attended the consistory, while millions of Timorese watched the program on television in their homes while praying with their families.

Dili Archdiocese has invited Catholics from parishes and religious orders to join in the welcoming ceremony for the new cardinal on September 5 and a thanksgiving program at Tasi Tolu, about eight kilometers west of Dili where Saint John Paul II celebrated Mass when he visited in 1989. Pope Francis planned to visit Timor-Leste in 2020 but postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Catholic churches in two states of India came under attack this week amid a rising tide of violence against Christians in the Hindu-majority country.

In the northeastern state of Meghalaya, police are yet to arrest the culprits days after statues of the Virgin Mary, Jesus and Joseph were vandalized in a Church at Daram village in the North Garo Hills district, on Saturday. The Church is one of the oldest in the state and has about 100 Catholic families. About 83 percent of the state’s 3.2 million people are Christians.

In another incident reported on Wednesday, a mob attacked Infant Jesus Catholic Church in Patti area of northern Sikh religion dominated Punjab state and vandalized a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus, and a car belonging to the parish priest who claimed the mob chanted Sikh separatists’ slogans.

Media reports said Sikh groups have accused that some “fake pastors” are misleading Sikhs and converting them to Christianity. About 10 percent of Punjab’s 20 million are Christians.

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