Gwangju, South Korea / Jakarta, Indonesia (18 May 2025) – Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) is profoundly honoured to receive the 2025 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, awarded by the May 18 Memorial Foundation. The Foundation also awarded the DKK from the Philippines with a Special Prize awarded every two years for its cultural work with indigenous peoples in the Cordilleras.
During the award ceremony, Galuh Wandita, AJAR’s Executive Director stated that, “We are deeply honoured by the judging committee’s recognition of our efforts to heal wounds left by violence and oppression and to develop sustainable activities for peace and human rights today. This acknowledgment strengthens our resolve to continue our work with renewed vigour and commitment.”
Since 2000, the May 18 Memorial Foundation has annually awarded the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights (GPHR) to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of human rights, democracy, and peace. In recognizing AJAR, the Foundation stated:
The May 18 Foundation awards the 2025 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights to Asia Justice and Rights, an organization that has worked to protect survivors, investigate the truth and build peace in Southeast Asia, in the face of military violence and human rights violations.
Asia Justice and Rights dedication has not only advanced democracy, human rights and peace in the world but also has exhibited the spirit of resistance and great solidarity with the May 18 Democratic Uprising.
Since its establishment in 2010, AJAR has worked alongside survivors and human rights defenders to pursue justice from the ground up. From reuniting stolen children and working with survivors of sexual violence in Timor-Leste, to documenting atrocities with local groups and survivors in Myanmar and the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar, to training young change-makers in Indonesia and across the region. AJAR has sought to empower those silenced by violence to reclaim their rights and shape their futures.
May is a time of remembrance and reflection—not only in Gwangju, but also in Indonesia, where the month marks the anniversary of the 1998 pro-democracy movement. It was a moment filled with hope and demands for reform, justice, and human rights. Yet today, we are witnessing a painful erosion of those commitments, as the past is forgotten and authoritarian practices resurface.
Across the globe, at a time when civic space is under attack and defenders face threats, criminalisation, and exile, we are deeply humbled by this award. It strengthens our resolve to continue this work.
We accept this honour on behalf of all our partners, rights defenders, and survivors—those we are proud to walk alongside every day. The award is not an end-point, but a renewed call to action. AJAR is committed to carrying forward the spirit of Gwangju in our shared struggle for peace, memory, and accountability across Asia.
For more information, please contact:
Galuh Wandita (gwandita@asia-ajar.org)
Dodi Yuniar (dyuniar@asia-ajar.org)
Indria Fernida (ifernida@asia-ajar.org)