The honor is given to monks or laypeople who do work that exemplifies Buddhist principles.

Five ethnic Shan people were selected by the Thai Buddhist Association for the “moral award,” an honor given to monks or laypeople who exemplify the principles of Buddhism.

The ceremony for the award took place at the Buddha Munthung hall in Nakhon Prathom, Thailand. A cousin of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej gave the award to recipients.

Hundreds of people from 30 countries were selected for this round of awards. Award winner Ying Lao Oum, from Yawnghwe (Nyaungshwe), told SHAN that the other recipients were: Abbot Sao Nawkham La Dhamma Sami; Nang Mo Mo Thida, the chairperson of the Women Entrepreneur Working Group in Shan State; Nang Kham Hpoung, chairperson of the Nang Kalyar Shan Dhamma Sutra group; and Nang Myint Myint Soe of Kengtung.

Abbot Sao Nawkham La Dhamma Sami, a recipient from the Buddhist University in the Shan State capital of Taunggyi, said that the award is given to people “who have tried to spread Buddhism and working as volunteers in social work, education, politics, and economics.”

He added that there is no limit to the number of moral awards that can be handed out, and that it is given to as many people as fulfill the criteria.

Three Shan people won moral awards in 2018 from Thai community-based organizations.