Human rights groups protest Seoul peace prize for Indian premier Modi

By Lim Chang-won Posted : October 26, 2018, 13:44 Updated : October 26, 2018, 13:44

[Yonhap Photo]


SEOUL -- Human rights group, based in South Korea, opposed the selection of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the winner of this year's Seoul Peace Prize, citing his controversial role in the 2002 Gujarat riots that left hundreds of Muslims and Hindus dead.

In a joint news conference on Friday, 26 groups including Asian Dignity Initiative (ADI), a non-governmental organization defending human rights of the marginalized population in Asia, insisted Modi should not receive the prize, a biennial award established in 1990 to commemorate the success of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

The Seoul Peace Prize Committee selected Modi this week for promoting global peace through economic cooperation with other countries and improving the livelihood of Indian people. The committee also praised him for making great contributions to India's democratic development and social integration as well as regional stability.

Previous recipients include former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan in 1998; former U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-moon in 2012; and incumbent German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Modi remains a figure of controversy domestically and internationally over his Hindu nationalist beliefs and his role during the 2002 riots. His hardline Hindutva philosophy and the policies adopted by his government continue to draw criticism.
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