Dr. Chhim Sotheara, a 54-year-old Cambodian psychologist, has been recognized with the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2022 for his efforts to overcome personal pain and for treating victims of the Pol Pot genocide. This award is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of Asia.
Dr. Chhim Sotheara.
According to the latest announcement from the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, this year’s awards will be presented to four individuals, including Dr. Chhim Sotheara, who has dedicated his life to helping victims of the Pol Pot genocide, focusing particularly on treating psychological disorders.
Dr. Chhim Sotheara stated that after escaping the Khmer Rouge regime, many Cambodians suffered from psychological trauma, with some even resorting to suicide. This motivated him to abandon his dream of becoming an engineer or architect to pursue a career in medicine, hoping to help the people or at least assist his loved ones when they fell ill.
“My dream was to become an engineer or an architect, but the Khmer Rouge killed all the doctors, so my family and I decided to enter the medical field with the hope of being able to help the people, or at least help our relatives when they were sick,” Dr. Chhim Sotheara shared.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award organizers praised “the calm courage of Dr. Chhim Sotheara in overcoming his own deep wounds to become a healer for others.” He has also testified as a witness in the trials of senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, often dubbed the “Nobel Prize of Asia,” was established in 1957 to honor those who have “selflessly served the development of Asian nations.” A ceremony honoring the Ramon Magsaysay Award recipients is scheduled to take place in Manila, Philippines, in November.
