John Lwin (; born Tin Aung Lwin on 15 July 1967) is a former Burmese model, model agency founder, event organizer, and

LGBT rights activist A list of notable LGBTQ social movements, LGBTQ rights activists who have worked to advance LGBTQ rights by political change, legal action or publication. Ordered by country, alphabetically. Albania * Xheni Karaj, founder of Aleanca LGBT org ...

. After being model scouted at a young age while living in

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

, he enjoyed a successful career, modelling in Southeast Asia between 1989 and 1995, from

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. He has discovered and trained more than 200 models and 30 actors. He is the founder and CEO of Stars & Models International, Myanmar's first modelling agency and Star Event Production which has been organizing major concerts and Myanmar International Fashion Week. He has mentored many successful models and actors and introduced professional standards to Myanmar's modeling industry.

Early life and education

Lwin was born on 15 July 1967 in

Yangon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

, Myanmar. He is the youngest son of Hla Myint, a retired chief railway engineer in the Myanmar Rail Transportation Corporation, and his wife Mya Mya Aye, a former school teacher. He has an elder brother Aung Moe Kyaw, a businessman and CEO of International Beverages and Trading Company Limited (IBTC). He graduated high school from

Basic Education High School No. 2 Bahan Basic Education High School No. 2 Bahan (; abbreviated to အ.ထ.က (၂) ဗဟန်း; also abbreviated as BEHS No. 2 Bahan, commonly known as Nanyan) is a public high school in Bahan township, Yangon. Until the nationalization under Ne Win ...

. He then enrolled at the

Rangoon University 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 ...

and graduated with a degree in

Zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

and also studied hotel management in Singapore.

Career

In 1989, he moved to

from Yangon to study hotel management. After, he joined Carrie Models International, a local modelling agency. Since then, he took professional training in modelling and catwalk. He was the only Burmese model in Singapore at that time. In 1992, he won the title of Singapore's "Face of the Year". Afterwards, he worked with brand companies from

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

and

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

to appear in commercials for brands such as

Nescafé Nescafé is a brand of instant coffee sold by the multinational food and drink corporation Nestlé. It comes in many different forms. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café". Nestlé first introduced their flagship coffee br ...

In 1995, he moved back to Yangon and founded the country's first modeling agency named Stars & Models International and he has discovered and produced more than 200 models and 30 actors, including:

Sai Sai Kham Leng Sai Sai Kham Leng (; ; also Sai Sai Kham Hlaing; born 10 April 1979) is a Burmese singer-songwriter, novelist, and actor of ethnic Shan descent. He is considered one of the most commercially successful male singers in the history of Burmese h ...

Moe Hay Ko Moe Hay Ko (; born Aye Aye Khine on 26 June 1985) is a Burmese actress, model, producer and businesswoman. She is the Myanmar's third highest-paid actress and considered one of the most commercially successful actresses in Burmese cinema. Throug ...

Myint Myat Myint Myat (; born 7 August 1986) is a Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards-winning Burmese actor. He began his career in June 2006. Selected filmography Film (Cinema) *'' Kyauk Sat Yay'' (2009) *'' Ko Tint Toh Super Yat Kwat'' (2014) *'' C ...

Aung Ye Lin Aung Ye Lin (; born 19 June 1988) is a Burmese actor and model. Early life and education Aung Ye Lin was born on 19 June 1988 in Yangon, Myanmar. He is the youngest child among two siblings, having an older brother named Phyo Ye Lin. From 1995 ...

, Yu Thandar Tin, San Yati Moe Myint, Shwe Hmone Yati,

Aung Min Khant Aung Min Khant (; born 25 November 1990) is a Burmese television and film actor. He gained recognitions for his roles in television series ''Forever Mandalay'' (2014), '' Wit Nyin Shite Than'' (2015), '' Winkabar San Eain'' (2015) and '' Magical ...

, Paing Takhon, and many others. Afterwards, he agreed to set up Myanmar Asia Trading, which involved exporting male fashion wear from Myanmar to Singapore. His network of contacts in the fashion industry expanded and he was invited to organize Myanmar's first fashion show in 1995. In 1998, he founded Star Event Production which arranged the first MTV Exit Live in Myanmar at People Square. He has plans for 300-400 events per year, including music concerts, Myanmar Women's Day Ceremony, Grand Royal Concert, the

L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French multinational personal care corporation registered in Paris

red carpet, Myanmar International Fashion Week and Myanmar Academy Awards Ceremony. In December 2013, he acquired the copyright of

Manhunt International Manhunt International is a prominent international male model search for the next ''Male Supermodel,'' founded in 1993. However, the competition's roots trace back a few years earlier, when a single national preliminary was held in Singapore. ...

, to enable Myanmar's male models to compete internationally. In 2016, he received "Best Event Organizer Award" at the Shwe FM 7th Anniversary Awards. From 2016 to 2018, he also helped the government organise and host the Myanmar Academy Awards Ceremony.

LGBT rights activism

Lwin is a supporter of the

LGBT rights in Myanmar Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Myanmar face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal and section 377 of Myanmar's Penal Code 1861, enacted in 1886, subjects same- ...

, he actively participated in many LGBT rights campaigns in

. He is lobbying for the abolishing of Article 377 of Myanmar's Penal Code. He believes that in order to achieve equality, the government should take responsibility for ensuring that LGBT people are represented in every sector. On 5 July 2019, he has walked the runway by holding the

rainbow flag A rainbow flag is a multicolored flag consisting of the colors of the rainbow. The designs differ, but many of the colors are based on the seven spectral colors of the visible light spectrum. History In the 18th century, American Revolutionary ...

at the L'Oréal red carpet gala in Myanmar with the aim of standing for the oppressed LGBT.

Arrest

John Lwin was arrested after returning from Bangkok on 4 June 2025. His arrest followed social media posts in which he criticized actress

Khine Hnin Wai Khine Hnin Wai (; born on 14 March 1981) is a Burmese actress, philanthropist, and activist for victims of child rape. She is best known for her charitable work in Myanmar as the founder of the Khine Hnin Wai Foundation, a charity that supports ...

over a controversy involving a mistaken bank transfer. Many activists have claimed that criticizing Khine Hnin Wai can lead to imprisonment, as she is allegedly protected by the military junta and considered untouchable. He was also allegedly involved in reselling products from singer

Chan Chan Chan Chan (), sometimes itself called Chimor, was the capital city of the Chimor kingdom. It was the largest city of the pre-Columbian era in South America. It is now an archeological site in the department of La Libertad west of Trujillo, P ...

, who fled to Italy due to her political activism. Under recent laws in Myanmar, purchasing or distributing products associated with anti-junta activists abroad is considered a criminal offense.

References

{{authority control Living people 1967 births Burmese male models Burmese LGBTQ businesspeople Burmese LGBTQ rights activists People from Yangon Region 20th-century Burmese LGBTQ people 21st-century Burmese LGBTQ people