Aung Myo Min, Myanmar National Unity Government Human Rights Minister, during a visit to Parliament, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Aung Myo Min, Myanmar National Unity Government Human Rights Minister, during a visit to Parliament, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
In Aung Myo Min’s home country Myanmar he knows of people who have been killed by the military regime for being gay. He himself has been abused because of it.
Today at New Zealand’s Parliament, on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, the exiled human rights activist and minister in the exiled National Unity Government stood proudly beneath rainbow and trans rights flags, dreaming about the day he might be able to do the same at home.
“It is amazing to see in front of Parliament, this respect for our existence, respect for the power of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi and trans),” he told the Herald during an emotional interview.
“But at the same time, it makes me feel sad for the LGBT people in Myanmar. Some of them have been brutally killed. Some of them are detained and subjected to sexual abuse by the military during interrogation.
“I’ve faced that. But now I feel more responsibility for LGBT being oppressed in Myanmar, after being in this country, seeing the respect for LGBT, who can speak freely and enjoy freedom.”
Aung Myo Min’s New Zealand visit is the first by someone from the Czech Republic-based government-in-exile, coming two years after a brutal military coup that plunged the country into a humanitarian crisis.
It also comes as New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta calls on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to come up with an alternative way forward, with the Five-Point Consensus “failing to get traction”.
Since that 2021 coup, the military regime in Myanmar has violently cracked down on any form of opposition, including peaceful protests. Credible reports indicate that thousands of civilians, including children, have been jailed, tortured and killed.
The prolonged conflict has seen thousands of civilian casualties, over 17 million people in need and 1.5 million people displaced from their homes.
Aung Myo Min has been a Burmese human rights activist decades and is the first openly LGBT minister in the country’s history. He is visiting New Zealand to meet with politicians - including Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta - to drum up support for their cause, along with members of the Myanmar community.
Aung Myo Min, Human Rights Minister in the exiled Myanmar National Unity Government, stands beneath flags at New Zealand's Parliament celebrating rainbow and trans rights.
Aung Myo Min has been exiled from his home country twice. The first time was in 1988 after the great student uprising. He didn’t return for 23 years. He was then exiled again after the military coup in 2021.
The international community has near-unanimously condemned the military seizure of power. New Zealand has never recognised the regime and repeatedly condemned its actions, suspending all high-level political and military contact and enacting travel bans.
A United Nations resolution - supported by New Zealand - has called for the immediate cessation of violence and the upholding of universal human rights, the provision of full and unhindered humanitarian access and the protection of civilians.
It calls on the military regime to effectively and fully implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and to immediately release all arbitrarily-detained prisoners, including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, who were removed from office during the coup.
New Zealand and partner countries have also supported the ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar and the UN Special Envoy to Myanmar while urging all parties in Myanmar to work constructively with them to commence dialogue to seek a peaceful solution.
While in Wellington he met with a range of Labour MPs - including Mahuta - who acted in their party capacity due to New Zealand not currently recognising any government in Myanmar.
Aung Myo Min said New Zealand was a “small but very important country”, particularly in the Asia Pacific region.
He called on New Zealand to recognise the National Unity Government as the legitimate government as well as provide more humanitarian assistance.
New Zealand does not have any direct investment in Myanmar nor trade but he said it could influence other countries to pull their trade as well and stop money flowing to the regime.
“Myanmar is in a very horrible situation. A country like New Zealand probably could not imagine. Every fundamental human right is being violated.
“Also now there are mass killings of civilians taking place. Sometimes they go beyond that and are crimes against humanity, such as against the indigenous Rohingya.”
Many Rohingya are currently refugees in countries across the border including Bangladesh and India. It is still not safe for them to return.
Aung Myo Min said any resolution needed to address these crimes and bring justice.
Tt was still an unclear path to peace but he was confident it could happen, with the support of countries like New Zealand.
