In last week of June 2019 at Yangon, Myanmar, a Liberian of Myanmar Imperial College (MIC), named, Kyaw Zin Win, did suicide after being bullied on his sexual orientation by coworkers. Before committing suicide by taking overdose of sleeping pills, he posted his reason on social media “I was afraid to do this, but I am afraid of people more”. It becomes alarms to Myanmar society and addressing the impacts of discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation.
Myanmar Context
In case investigation by Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC)’s comment was due to mental illness on the part of young man. Even though, World Health Organization (WHO) stated that LGBT is not a mental illness but society and authorities in Myanmar still accepting that LGBT people are mentally sick and ill. This can be easily seen as ice berg phenomenon and there will be many unknown cases of bullying, discrimination and violating on LGBT community in various ways and nobody knows how it imposes to manly lives of suicides.
Main Argument
There is no effective polices on prohibiting discrimination and thus violating cases are still going on. There are some Non-governmental organizations and civil society groups are working on to change Laws and Policies to protect than punish these vulnerable LGBT communities. But, the interest of key stakeholders is still low, and this issue is unaddressed in policy making level.
Myanmar has a penal code 377A on Gay sex and punishment is up to 10 years and this law was stated since British colonial era legislation on several decades ago. This law allows discrimination against LGBT people and they are often denied from jobs or fired if their identity is known in workplace. Society values on LGBT and acceptance of sexual orientation is quite low in Myanmar context and stigma on LGBT is predisposing factors for facing difficulties in accessing jobs, education, health access, legal aids and everyday lives of LGBT.
The continuous suppression and stigmatizing effects on vulnerable and damaged communities may also lead to moral panic within the society. High degree of concern about this threat within LGBT community and bring hostility towards people. And then, major consensus among LGBT can lead to remark as common threat and nobody can know when this moral panic will leap up or reach to peak. They find the own truth insider their environment in which society can’t offer fairness for them and it can create chaos situation in society and all values will be gone.
Recommendation
Most important thing to tackle this problem is engaging with policy makers, members of Parliament and making interest of in the protection of LGBT people. There must be specific type of rules/ Laws and definite procedures to take action if this kind of discrimination act is happened in daily lives. Following on, enforcing with local authorities to meaningfully practicing on the field. It can be a difficult process without consent of general community and thus community awareness is also important in setting the policy formulation and implementation. This kind of anti-discrimination law is not special law for LGBT and it belongs to wholistic community. This law makes ensure respect for people with different situations and against the all forms of discriminations based on race, religion, sexual identity, belief and so on.
Media advocacy and awareness is most significant part of the process and role model of LGBT must be encouraged among society to change the mindset of community. At current condition, people see only sex if there is talking about LGBT and there are so many things on LGBT such as love. Philippines gay model Sinon Loresca is frequently visiting to Myanmar and doing a lot of charity and donating food and other things to poorest group of society and prove that love is the most fundamental thing, and everybody are the same. There are thousands of followers from Myanmar are supporting him and it is a good change of society value on LGBT.
Conclusion
In the serious example of LGBT suicide case from Myanmar, he pleaded not to be reborn in a land of oppressors as his final words. This is not his fault and it is the fault of society that ignores, neglects, bullies, violates and punishes to the people who have different feeling or situation. This issue is well solved by government and stigmatization is still going on. Lives of LGBT are feeling unsecure for their environment and future and many more Kyaw Zin Win will come without properly addressed this issue by the government and society.