Dr. Lian Hmung Sakhong, a prominent Chin community leader and academic, was awarded the Martin Luther King Prize for 2007. The Martin Luther King Prize was established by a coalition of Swedish peace groups in honor of the late civil rights activist in 2003. Dr. Lian Hmung Sakhong is the third recipient of the prize since its inception, and was presented the award in a ceremony on January 15 at the Swedish Parliament. In addition to the honor of winning, the prize brings with it US $25,000.

Dr. Lian Hmung Sakhong is the current General Secretary of the Ethnic Nationalities Council, the largest ethnic based political coalition from Burma, which has consistently called for a tripartite dialogue as a first step towards solving the country's political crisis. He was actively involved in the pro-democracy movement following the student-led uprising in 1988, and was arrested, interrogated, and tortured by the military junta on three separate occasions between 1988 and 1990. He fled his country in 1990 and resettled in Sweden in 1991, where he continued his education.

During his time in Burma, Dr. Lian Sakhong served as the General Secretary of United Nationalities League for Democracy, a coalition of ethnic political parties that joined the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy in forming a 67 member parliamentary bloc. He also served as the General Secretary of the Chin National League for Democracy, which won three parliamentary seats in the 1990 election, and continues to fill these positions for the UNLD-Liberated Area, and the CNLD-Exile.

Besides his political work undertaken at personal risk within Burma, Dr. Lian Sakhong was honored for his continued dedication to advocate for a federal democratic system and national reconciliation in Burma. Along with the late Dr. Chao Tzang Yawnghwe, Dr. Lian Sakhong initiated the State Constitution Drafting Process in 2001. He currently works as the General Secretary of the Federal Constitution Drafting Committee, and is one of the main drafters of the Chin State constitution - first published in 2006. Dr. Lian Sakhong, Dr. Chao Tzang Yawnghwe, and Harn Yawnghwe founded the National Reconciliation Program of Burma, to begin the process of national reconciliation among the diverse nationalities of the Union of Burma. He now sits as a senior advisor to the National Reconciliation Program.

As if all of that weren't enough accomplishments for one man, Dr. Lian Sakhong also wrote the concept paper Basic Principles for Future Federal Union, outlining the basic principles on which the historic state constitution drafting initiative should be based. The paper's principles were adopted by 104 delegates representing 64 political parties and various political organizations at a historic gathering in the jungle on the Thai-Burma border in 2005. He has been passionate in his calls for the establishment of a genuine federal union based on the principles of the Panglong Agreement, signed on February 12, 1947, by General Aung San and leaders of the Federated Shan State and the Frontier Areas of the Chin and Kachin hills. His work has demonstrated an enviable commitment to bringing about a realization of his hopes for freedom, equality and democracy.

Dr. Lian Hmung Sakhong has published numerous articles on Chin history, traditions and politics in Burma, including his Ph.D. dissertation: Religion and Politics among the Chin People in Burma (Uppsala University, 2000) and his book, In Search of Chin Identity: A Study in Religion, Politics and Ethnic Identity in Burma (Copenhagen: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, 2003). He also edited a series of ten books under the title of Peaceful-coexistenc e: Towards Federal Union of Burma (Chiang Mai: UNLD Press, between 1999 and 2006).

Besides his work to realize a federal union of Burma and national reconciliation, Dr. Lian Hmung Sakhong is also a genuinely nice guy.