Aung Myo Min (Burmese: အောင်မျိုးမင်း, pronounced [ʔaʊɰ̃ mjó mɪ́ɰ̃]) is a Burmese human rights activist.[1][2] He is currently a human rights minister in the cabinet of the National Unity Government and is the first openly LGBT minister in the country's history.[3]
Aung Myo Min | |
|---|---|
အောင်မျိုးမင်း | |
 Aung Myo Min in 2014 | |
| Minister of Human Rights of the NUG | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2021 | |
| Appointed by | CRPH |
| President | Win Myint |
| Vice President | Duwa Lashi La |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Myanmar |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Politician Human rights activist |
| Website | mohr |
Early life and education
editUntil his departure in 1988, Aung Myo Min studied English at the University of Yangon.[4] Later, in 1993, he studied human rights at Columbia University in the City of New York and earned his master's degree in 1995.[5][6]
Career
editHis political aspirations first began in 1988, at the time of the 8888 pro-democracy uprising, when he participated as a student activist in Yangon in the nationwide campaign calling for democracy and human rights in Myanmar. At the time, he was in his final year at the University of Yangon, where he was studying for a degree in English. In August 1988, he led fellow activists at student demonstrations in Mudon, Mon State. After addressing crowds every day, he finally left for the jungle, along the Thailand-Myanmar border in Karen State, where he joined the armed student group the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF). He served in the Mudon Battalion, or ABSDF Battalion 204. After finishing his education from Columbia University, he returned to work along the border in 1993. In a 2018 interview with FORUM-ASIA, of which Equality Myanmar is a member, he stated that his "passion for truth and justice" motivated him to become involved in human rights. Aung Myo Min became Myanmar's first openly gay activist, fighting against homophobia and LGBT discrimination.[citation needed]
Aung Myo Min founded the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB) in 2000,[7] which was later renamed Equality Myanmar (EQMM), and served as an executive director.[8][9] From 2005 to 2010, he served as director of the Human Rights Documentation Department of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma.[7] He is also the founder of the EQMM project Colors Rainbow, initiated in 2007, and a steering committee member of the Myanmar LGBT Rights Network.[4]
After his return to Burma in 2012, Aung Myo Min increased his involvement in human rights activities.[4] He founded theColor Rainbow, an LGBT rights organization, and he is a steering committee member for the Myanmar LGBT Rights Network. On 3 May 2021, Aung Myo Min was appointed by the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw as the Union Minister for Human Rights in the National Unity Government.[10]
He is said to have devoted a lifetime to his career and is called a "sacred human resource" by his colleagues.[4]
Awards and nominations
editIn 1999, Aung Myo Min received the Felipa de Souza Award from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.[4] He holds seven international awards for the work he has done for human and LGBT rights[11] including, in 2017, the first Robert Schuman Award presented to Myanmar citizens by the European Union for defending peace, democracy and human rights.[12] He was also nominated for the United Nation's N-Peace Award in 2016.[13] Aung Myo Min was awarded the Sydney Peace Foundation Gold Medal for Human Rights in 2023.[14]
In popular culture
editThe documentary This Kind of Love chronicled Aung Myo Min's life and career after his return from exile.[13]
References
edit- ^ "NUG supports sanctions against family members of coup leaders, human rights minister says". Myanmar NOW. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Aung Myo Min: 'Treat us as human beings, not as a problem'". Frontier Myanmar. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Myanmar's first gay minister hopes to uplift minorities, Rohingya". South China Morning Post. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Lifelong Human Rights Defender Continues to Inspire". The Irrawaddy. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "1993 HRAP Alumni Aung Myo Min on PBS Newshour | Institute for the Study of Human Rights". www.humanrightscolumbia.org. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "First-ever Schuman Awards granted to Myanmar citizens". The Myanmar Times. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ a b "ပြည်ထောင်စုဝန်ကြီး – လူ့အခွင့်အရေးဆိုင်ရာဝန်ကြီးဌာန". Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Myanmar Military's Killings of Children Are 'Serious Crimes,' Says Opposition NUG Minister". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Prosecutions Being Prepared for Myanmar Military: NUG Human Rights Minister". The Irrawaddy. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Appointment of Union Ministers and Deputy Ministers – CRPH". crphmyanmar.org. 3 May 2021. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Aung Myo Min". www.britishcouncil.org.mm. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "EU Honors Myanmar Rights Advocates at Fourth Schuman Awards". The Irrawaddy. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Newsmakers of the Year [Aung Myo Min – EQMM] | Human Rights in ASEAN". Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Myanmar peace advocate to receive Gold Medal for Human Rights".