Aung Myo Min (, ) is a Burmese human rights activist. He is currently a human rights minister in the cabinet of the

National Unity Government A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other na ...

and is the first openly LGBT minister in the country's history.

Early life and education

Until his departure in 1988, Aung Myo Min studied English at the

University of Yangon The University of Yangon (also Yangon University; , ; formerly Rangoon College, University of Rangoon and Rangoon Arts and Sciences University), located in Kamayut, Yangon, is the oldest university in Myanmar's modern education system and the b ...

. Later, in 1993, he studied

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

Columbia University in the City of New York Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, it ...

and earned his master's degree in 1995.

Career

His 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 Mudon (; ) is a town in the Mon State of south-east Myanmar, south of Mawlamyine. Mudon lies along the highway that links Mawlamyine to Thanbyuzayat, Kyaik-kami (Amherst) and Setse, Setse Beach. Etymology "Mudon" derives from the Mon language te ...

Mon State Mon State (, ; ) is an administrative division of Myanmar. It lies between Kayin State to the east, the Andaman Sea to the west, Bago Region to the north and Tanintharyi Region to the south, also having a short border with Thailand's Kanchanabu ...

. After addressing crowds every day, he finally left for the jungle, along the Thailand-Myanmar border in

Karen State Kayin State (, ; ; , ), formerly known as Karen State, is a state of Myanmar. The capital city is Hpa-An, also spelled Pa-An. The terrain of the state is mountainous; with the Dawna Range running along the state in a NNW–SSE direction, and ...

, where he joined the armed student group the

All Burma Students' Democratic Front The All Burma Students' Democratic Front (; abbreviated ABSDF or မကဒတ) is an opposition group in Myanmar (also known as Burma). It was founded on 1 November 1988, after the 8888 protests in Yangon. The group's leadership consists mos ...

(ABSDF). He served in the Mudon Battalion, or ABSDF Battalion 204. After finishing his education from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, 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. Aung Myo Min founded the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB) in 2000, which was later renamed Equality Myanmar (EQMM), and served as an executive director. From 2005 to 2010, he served as director of the Human Rights Documentation Department of the

National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma ( ; NCGUB) was an administration which claimed to be the government in exile of Burma (Myanmar). It had its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, United States. It was formally established i ...

. 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. After his return to Burma in 2012, Aung Myo Min increased his involvement in human rights activities. 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 The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (; abbreviated CRPH) is a Burmese legislative body in exile, representing a group of National League for Democracy lawmakers and members of parliament ousted in the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. T ...

as the Union Minister for Human Rights in the National Unity Government. He is said to have devoted a lifetime to his career and is called a "sacred human resource" by his colleagues.

Awards and nominations

In 1999, Aung Myo Min received the

Felipa de Souza Award Outright International (Outright) is an LGBTIQ human rights non-governmental organization that addresses human rights violations and abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. OutRight International documents human ri ...

from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. He holds seven international awards for the work he has done for human and LGBT rights including, in 2017, the first Robert Schuman Award presented to Myanmar citizens by the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

for defending peace, democracy and human rights. He was also nominated for the United Nation's N-Peace Award in 2016. Aung Myo Min was awarded the Sydney Peace Foundation Gold Medal for Human Rights in 2023.

In popular culture

The documentary ''This Kind of Love'' chronicled Aung Myo Min's life and career after his return from exile.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aung Myo Min Burmese human rights activists Government ministers of Myanmar Living people Burmese LGBTQ politicians Year of birth missing (living people) University of Yangon alumni Columbia University alumni 21st-century Burmese LGBTQ people