Monday, August 1 2005 17:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Manila: Indian physician V Shantha is among the winners of this year's Ramon Magsaysay awards, the award foundation said today (August 1, 2005).

Shantha, awarded the Magsaysay prize for public service, was honoured for "her untiring leadership of the Cancer Institute as a centre of excellence and compassion for the study and treatment of cancer in India."

Super cop Kiran Bedi and social activist Rajendra Singh were among other Indians who won the award in previous years.

A Thai senator, an Indonesian anti-graft campaigner and a Bangladeshi scribe are among the other Magsaysay winners for 2005, the foundation said.

Teten Masduki of Indonesia Corruption Watch also won the Magsaysay prize for public service for "challenging Indonesians to expose corruption and claim their right to clean government."

Senator Jon Ungphakorn was cited by the Philippines-based foundation for "his impassioned insistence as a senator that Thailand respect the rights and attend humanely to the needs of its least advantaged citizens."

Matiur Rahman, founder and editor of the newspaper 'Prothom Alo,' won the award for journalism, literature and creative communication arts. The foundation praised "his wielding the power of the press to crusade against acid throwing to stir Bangladeshis to help its many victims."

South Korea's Yoon Hye-Ran, founder of the Citizens Opening the World for Welfare, won the award for emergent leadership while Laotian Sombath Somphone won the award for community leadership.