Shin Thant

Shin Thant was born on 19 May 1990 in Mandalay, Myanmar to a traditional Buddhist family. Her birth name is Aung Thant (male name). She was first identified as transgender when she was age 17. She graduated from Co-operative University, Thanlyin and holds a B.A. Business Sciences and also studied business in Japan in after receiving a government scholarship. She publicly changed her gender identity from a man to a woman in 2012.[5]

In 2012, she was arrested under Section 35c of the Police Act. Soon after, Shin Thant meet with Aung Myo Min, a LGBT rights activist. From then on, she to speak out about violence in the LGBT community and to fight for her human rights.[6] And she start working with local LGBT organisations to fight for LGBT rights across Myanmar. She became the leading LGBT activist in the country.[7]

In 2013, when a group of transgender women were arrested in Mandalay and allegedly forced to strip before being taken into custody, Shin Thant fought alongside Colors Rainbow, the LGBT rights organization to seek justice.[1] In January 2017, she helped transgender model Myo Ko Ko San who was wrongly accused of being the administrator of the controversial Cele Cele Small Facebook page which reports celebrity gossip and rumours.[1] In March 2017, Shin Thant also participated in a youth conference with State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi for addition to her LGBT-focused activism. She had served as the Yangon Region’s representative on the drafting committee on the Myanmar Youth Policy.

Shin Thant believes that in order to achieve equality, the government should take responsibility for ensuring that LGBT people are represented in every sector. Her dream of becoming the Myanmar’s first LGBT member of parliament. She is lobbying for the abolishing of Article 377 of Myanmar’s Penal Code.[5]

• LGBT rights in Myanmar