Tin Ko Ko, Myanmar

About Tin

Mr. Tin Ko Ko has been the coordinator of Kings N Queens since 2011, where he grows partner networks and conducts activities in the pursuit of equal LGBT rights. Tin has comprehensive experience in voluntary work and an interesting portfolio of past trainings enhancing his capabilities to help those in need. His areas of specialization include human rights and advocacy, leadership, and communication.

The Innovation: Promotion of Legal Awareness and Prevention of Abuse Towards Transgender People in Myanmar

Tin’s project aimed to raise awareness of the legal rights of transgender (TG) people in TG communities in Myanmar to prevent these individuals from being targeted by police abuse. During the fellowship, Tin developed guidelines for TG people in case of abuse and created a contact list of legal aids to reach out to. Seven one-day discussions were held across various townships in Myanmar to raise awareness of the legal rights violations that TG individuals are subject to. Three additional legal awareness trainings educated 60 participants on legal defense and advised the attending lawyers on how to address problems associated with the successful implementation of the law. A public event was organized to educate the general public about the LGBT community, many of whom were unaware of the nature and legal struggles of the community beforehand. One of Tin’s greatest accomplishments during the fellowship was working for a TG woman who was wrongfully arrested under the Rangoon Police Act but acquitted after the defense proved her innocence. Throughout the project, Tin collaborated with many groups, including the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission and the United Nations.

Since the conclusion of the project, Mr. Ko Ko and the Kings N Queens group have been actively involved in the “Stop Gender-Based Violence” Movement in Myanmar. Kings N Queens uses this platform to collaborate with other organizations and promote public awareness about LGBT issues through performance and role play. The organization also organizes an open LGBT discussion group that encourages participants to share their personal experiences and discuss the social challenges that LGBT people face. Alongside these discussions, Kings N Queens has continued to conduct legal rights awareness trainings to improve the status of LGBT individuals across Myanmar.