Two Indonesians in list of Asian heroes

Two Indonesians in list of Asian heroes

Hong Kong, Agence France-Presse

Indonesian folk singer Iwan Fals and celebrated writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer were among an illustrious few, which included film star Jackie Chan and Myanmar dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, chosen as "Asia's greatest living heroes" by Time magazine.

The U.S. based weekly said in its latest issue that the lives and work of the 25 selected individuals had "a profound impact on the people around them."

"Overcoming self-doubt, almost impossible odds and steadily persevering to attain their goals (sometimes at the risk of personal safety), they demonstrate the inherent potential that remains untapped in most individual," it said.

Time Asia editor Karl Taro Greenfeld said "for all their fame, these are also folks who are simply doing a job. Performing their tasks admirably, going about their business, always showing up when they are expected -- and needed."

Other Asians highlighted were East Timor president elect Xanana Gusmao, Thai activist Sompop Jantraka who works to save rural girls from being snared into a life of sexual slavery, Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai, and former Chinese prime minister Zhao Ziyang.

The Japanese roll call which included baseball player Ichiro Suzuki, footballer Hidetoshi Nakata and author Makoto Oda was joined by a non-human hero in the form of Japanese cartoon cat Doraemon.

The popular cartoon character made it onto the list as it had "inspired and cheered millions of children across Asia."

Chinese "heroes" included Gao Yaojie, the 75-year-old grandmother who sounded the alarm on the country's AIDS epidemic and basketball player Wang Zhihzhi, who stirred national pride by making it into the NBA. Also selected was Taiwan singer A-mei.

The young Karmapa Lama who fled to India, "a symbol of hope and the fight against repression in Tibet" and Hong Kong explorer and conservationist Wong How Man were also named in the list of Asia's living heroes.

India's outstanding Asians included cricket star Sachin Tendulkar, the head of pharmaceutical firm Cipla, Yusuf K. Hamied, for selling cut-price AIDS drugs, film star Shabana Azmi and Kashmir Muslim religious leader Omar Farooq.

Accidental hero Seol Ik-soo who saved many lives during last week's Air China crash in Busan in South Korea, was also named in the list.