Aung Myo Min
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 |
Nationality | Burmese |
Political party | Independent |
Alma mater | |
Occupation | Politician Human rights activist |
Website | mohr |
Early life and education
Fleeing to Thailand in the aftermath of the 8888 Uprising, Aung Myo Min spent 24 years in exile and returned to Burma in 2013.[4] Until his departure in 1988, Aung Myo Min read English at the University of Yangon.[5] Later, in 1993, he studied human rights at Columbia University in the City of New York and earned his master's degree in 1995.[6]
Career
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.[5]
After his return to Burma in 2013, Aung Myo Min increased his involvement in human rights activities.[5] 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.[5]
Awards and nominations
In 1999, Aung Myo Min received the Felipa de Souza Award from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.[5] 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]
In popular culture
The documentary This Kind of Love chronicled Aung Myo Min's life and career after his return from exile.[13]
References
- "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.
- "First-ever Schuman Awards granted to Myanmar citizens". The Myanmar Times. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- "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.
- "ပြည်ထောင်စုဝန်ကြီး – လူ့အခွင့်အရေးဆိုင်ရာဝန်ကြီးဌာန". 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. 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.
- "Newsmakers of the Year [Aung Myo Min – EQMM] | Human Rights in ASEAN". Retrieved 16 September 2021.