This is the 2012 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award ceremony held in December. Created in 2006 by the government-funded Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, the award honors individuals and groups for their efforts in protecting human rights. President Ma Ying-jeou presented this year’s award, along with a grant of US$100,000, to Maureen Crombie, chairwoman of ECPAT International. ECPAT stands for “End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes,” a Thailand-based organization that works to end the sexual exploitation of children.