Taiwan honored in India as 'beacon of democracy'

New Delhi, April 24 (CNA) Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and the Taiwanese people were awarded the 2019 Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize for Social Achievement in New Delhi on Tuesday for being a "beacon of democracy, human rights and freedom."

Tien Chung-kwang (田中光), Taiwan's de facto ambassador to India, received the award from Tagore Prize founder Peter Bundalo on behalf of Tsai during the award ceremony.

The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize for Social Achievement was awarded to Tsai in recognition of her efforts to promote freedom, democracy and human rights, Tien said at the ceremony.

He urged other countries, including India, that have the same values of democracy, freedom and human rights as Taiwan to join in the protection of those common values.

In his address, Bundalo urged the international community to support, protect and love Taiwan, which he described as a beautiful country, and to recognize Taiwan as a member of the international society.

"In our full support and recognition of Taiwan we awarded Madame President of Taiwan, Ms. Tsai Ing-Wen and Taiwanese people, as being a beacon of Democracy, Human Rights and Freedom," according to a post on the Facebook page of the prize.

The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize, established in 2018, is awarded annually in the honor of Indian author Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.