MANILA — Three leaders from Singapore, Bangladesh and Myanmar have been named recipients of the 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Award, recognising their decades of service in diplomacy, humanitarian work and human rights.
The three laureates are Singaporean diplomat Tommy Koh, Bangladeshi humanitarian Runa Khan and Myanmar human-rights advocate Bo Kyi. The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation announced the recipients on August 31, coinciding with the 119th birth anniversary of former Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay.
The award, established in 1958, is widely regarded as Asia’s premier leadership honour and recognises individuals who demonstrate integrity, courage and selfless service to communities across the region.
Tommy Koh, 88, is being recognised for a diplomatic career spanning more than five decades. He presided over the 1982 UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, which produced the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, widely described as the “constitution for the oceans.” He has also played major roles in Singapore’s academic, cultural and public institutions.
Runa Khan, 67, founded Friendship Bangladesh in 2002 to serve communities living in some of the country’s most isolated and climate-vulnerable areas. Her organisation has expanded its healthcare, education, livelihood and climate-adaptation programmes, including hospital ships, mobile clinics and schools serving remote communities.
Bo Kyi, 61, is being honoured for his decades-long defence of political prisoners and human rights in Myanmar. A former political prisoner himself, he co-founded the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in 2000, an organisation that documents political imprisonment and supports detainees and their families.
The foundation says the three laureates embody this year’s theme, “A World for All,” through work aimed at creating a more just and inclusive future.
The 68th Ramon Magsaysay Award Presentation Ceremonies are scheduled for November 15, 2026, at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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