Yangon: A gay Myanmar man posted a note on Facebook including screenshots of alleged homophobic bullying before taking his life, prompting activists to call Tuesday for more protection for the emerging Same-sex relations are still officially illegal under Myanmar's colonial-era laws, but although LGBTQ people enjoy more freedoms in the country than ever before, rights groups say homophobia and discrimination are entrenched in the socially conservative country. Kyaw Zin Win took his life after posting a final Facebook message to his family and friends, alongside a plea "not to be reborn" in a country "where superiors oppress those under them".
The 26-year-old librarian at Myanmar Imperial University (MIU), his profile picture black with an insignia of death, detailed how he had been bullied by colleagues.
He alleged his bosses forced him to come out at work and attached screenshots of group message chats appearing to show colleagues mocking him. By Tuesday, the posts on Facebook -- which serves as the main mode of communication in a country with low digital literacy -- had been shared thousands of times, accompanied by hundreds of outraged comments. "Words can kill people... it's murder," wrote Hein Aung Thu. The university released a statement Monday expressing its deepest sympathy over the "tragic" incident.
