A human rights group committed to helping Vietnamese refugees won an award for human rights and democracy presented by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, the Taipei-based organization announced on Wednesday.
Boat People SOS, a national Vietnamese-American community organization, has been awarded the sixth Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award, said Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), the foundation’s chairman.
The annual award was established in 2006 to honor individuals or groups in Asia that have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of democracy and human rights.
The rights group has been active in providing assistance to Vietnamese refugees in Vietnam, at sea, in refugee camps and to new immigrants who have recently arrived in the US, Wang said.
About one in 10 Vietnamese-Americans have been helped by the organization, which was founded in 1980, with its reach extending to other countries, including Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, Wang said.
The award ceremony is scheduled to be held on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day. The group is planning to send representatives to attend the ceremony.
It will receive the top prize of a trophy and US$100,000 to help it continue its activities.
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