Min Ko Naing Receives the Gwangju Prize in Person — Gwangju, 2013
In May 2013, Gwangju welcomed Min Ko Naing, one of Myanmar’s prominent democracy activists, following his release from prison in 2012.
Min Ko Naing had been awarded the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights in 2009, but he was unable to receive it in person while imprisoned. After his release, he travelled to South Korea to finally accept the honour. Contemporary reporting confirms that he visited South Korea in May 2013 to receive the 2009 Gwangju Prize in person.
The Gwangju Prize commemorates the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and recognises individuals and organisations contributing to human rights, democracy and peace. Min Ko Naing is officially listed as the 2009 laureate, while Lenin Raghuvanshi was a co-laureate in 2007.
The photographs from Gwangju in May 2013 preserve a particularly meaningful moment: Lenin Raghuvanshi participating in the presentation of Min Ko Naing’s Gwangju Prize.
For PVCHR, this was more than an award ceremony. It was a moment of international human-rights solidarity—bringing together two activists whose journeys had been shaped by struggles for dignity, democracy and human rights in India and Myanmar.
Min Ko Naing’s presence in Gwangju also carried a deeper historical meaning. The May 18 spirit of Gwangju had become a symbol of solidarity with democratic movements beyond Korea. His return to Gwangju after years of imprisonment created a powerful connection between the 1988 democracy movement in Myanmar and the democratic legacy of Gwangju.
The photographs remind us that human-rights movements are connected across borders. Solidarity can survive imprisonment, distance and time.
A Moment of Solidarity
In 2013, the stage in Gwangju brought together activists, human-rights defenders and representatives of civil society to honour a long struggle for freedom.
Min Ko Naing receiving the Gwangju Prize in person — Gwangju, South Korea, May 2013.
Photographs from the PVCHR archive.
Related:
- Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
- Min Ko Naing — 2009 Gwangju Prize laureate
- Lenin Raghuvanshi — 2007 Gwangju Prize laureate
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