Is Peace and Democracy possible in Myanmar? 

In this keynote address Aung Myo Min will discuss the movement for democracy in Myanmar and the role of the National Unity Government of Myanmar in laying the path for the country’s transition to a liberal democracy, with a separation of powers and guarantees of fundamental rights and freedoms.

Dr Susan Banki, whose research focuses on human rights and social justice in the Asia-Pacific region, met with Minister Aung Myo Min when conducting research on the Thailand-Myanmar border in the mid-2000s. In the Q & A, Dr Banki will ask the Minister questions about his role as an activist over many years, his work as an LGBTQI advocate, and the promise and future of Myanmar in light of the 2021 coup.

The event will commence with an introduction by Dr Susan Banki who will also chair the Q&A.

Professor Lisa Adkins, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, will conduct the award ceremony.

Please join us at 3.30pm for refreshments before the event. RSVP here. 

Aung Myo Min is the Union Minister for Human Rights in the cabinet of the National Unity Government of Myanmar. He was one of Myanmar’s prominent human rights advocates before he joined the NUG and was a youth leader in the 1988 democracy uprising. Aung Myo Min lived in exile for 23 years and continued working on human rights issues in Myanmar, particularly on marginalized people. He graduated with a Master’s degree in human rights from Columbia University, New York, in 1993. He has received eight human rights awards for his outstanding human rights work including the Schuman Human Rights Award in 2017.

The Sydney Peace Foundation’s Gold Medal for Human Rights is a prestigious acknowledgement of an individual’s tireless commitment to human rights. The Sydney Peace Foundation, founded in 1998, advocates for peace with justice, recognising that to achieve true and lasting peace, we must, beyond ending war and violent conflict, address deep injustices and structural inequality through systemic reform.