Thai activist Niwat Roykaew wins Asia Foundation’s frontline leader award

Niwat Roykaew, also known as Kru Thi, has been acknowledged as the first Thai recipient of the Leader on the Frontlines Award by the Asia Foundation, a San Francisco-based international development organisation.

Niwat, the 64 year old chairperson of the Chiang Khong Conservation Group and the director of Mekong School’s Institute of Local Knowledge has been recognised for his community mobilisation efforts to protect the Mekong River’s ecosystem and preserve local livelihoods.

Niwat’s successful community advocacy has managed to prevent several harmful blasting and damming projects that posed threats to the river and its residents. The Asia Foundation praised his relentless dedication and efforts towards environmental protection.

The Leader on the Frontlines Award, also known as the 2023 Chang-Lin Tien Distinguished Leadership Award, was presented to Niwat on April 1, marking his place as the sixth recipient since the inception of the award. After receiving the award, Niwat expressed his joy, stating that the recognition was not just for him but also for the entire civil society sector that has been working tirelessly towards natural resource protection, reported Bangkok Post.

“I am delighted that the effort to protect the Mekong River has been spread globally. This reward is not for me but it is a bliss for the civil society sector that has been working in natural resource protection for a long time.”

Niwat further used the platform to urge more people to take an active interest in environmental resource protection, emphasising that such practices are a global responsibility, not confined to a single country.

The award was established in honour of the late Chang-Lin Tien, previous chair of the Asia Foundation’s Board of Trustees and former chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley. Through this award, the foundation aims to promote and acknowledge those who demonstrate exceptional leadership in their fields, just as Tien did.

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