The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0), a Malaysia-based group of non-governmental organizations which works to ensure free and fair elections, is the winner of the 12th annual Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award.
The award is offered by Asia’s first national democracy assistance foundation, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, which was established by the Legislative Yuan in 2003.
The non-partisan Bersih 2.0, established in November 2006, consists of 93 civic groups, Legislative Speaker and foundation chairman Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) told a news conference at the legislature in Taipei.
“The coalition advocates for ethnic integration and has upheld the principles of peace and non-violence for its gatherings and activities,” Su said. “It has become the main driving force of social change in Malaysia.”
Having undergone the hardships of democratic transformation, Taiwan understands that true democratic values can only be manifested through a fair electoral system, Su said.
The award is recognition of the dedication Bersih 2.0 has made to ensure clean elections in Malaysia, Su added.
Su said he hopes the award would encourage nations worldwide to continue on the road to democracy and remind them that all reforms should be people-centered.
Bersih 2.0 received the highest score in this year’s preliminary and final reviews, outperforming the other four finalists from the Philippines, China and Myanmar, foundation president Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said.
The review process is split into two stages to ensure fairness, Hsu said, adding that the initial review panel consisted of seven Taiwanese specialists, while the final panel included Su, Hsu and five international experts in democracy and human rights promotion.
“This year’s five finalists are dedicated to causes such as electoral fairness, involuntary disappearances, human rights in China and women’s rights,” Hsu said, declining to reveal further details due to the sensitive nature of the various groups’ work.
The award ceremony is scheduled for Human Rights Day on Dec. 10. The winner is to receive US$100,000 and a trophy, which is to be presented by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
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