Our Team | BRAVEHEART

Zaw Phyoe Htet

Paralegal

He is a high school student. From 2015 to 2016, he volunteered for UNICEF Myanmar for one year. In 2020, he started as a volunteer in the Braveheart Foundation and helped raise awareness about the legal identity in the community in Hlaingtharyar township. He is now a Paralegal of the Braveheart Foundation and he will continue to identify undocumented people in Hlaingtharyar township and help them obtaining Citizenship Scrutiny Cards.

Twal Tar Lamin

Paralegal

She is a graduated B.Sc (Zoology) on 2018. After graduated she worked sales and communication position at (Life Project for Youth) social business program. From 2020 to 2021, she volunteered for NGO jobs. Now she started working in BraveHeart Foundation as a paralegal.

Kaung Myat Soe

Paralegal

Kaung Myat Soe is a first year student of Mathematics at Yangon Western University. He worked as an intern for 3 months at Cord-aid Myanmar from 1st June to 31st August 2020. From 1 May to 31 August 2021, he served as a team leader of the rice distribution under WFP, Hlaingtharyar Township. He is currently working as a Paralegal at the Braveheart Foundation to educate the undocumented community in Hlaingtharyar Township.

Khin Thazin Aye

Paralegal

She lives in Hlaingtharyar Township and is the second of three children. She studied up to Basic Education High School and attended English speaking, Basic computer, Professional behavior and business training at Life project 4 youth (LP4Y). Then serve as a volunteer for the Braveheart Foundation from 2019. She joined Braveheart Foundation working as a paralegal in 2021. She assists undocumented people to access civil documents and raises awareness on citizenship rights.

Aung Myo Win

Data Analyst

He holds a B.Sc (Physics) degree from the University of Yangon and worked for six years at Myanma Agricultural and Rural Development Bank. Then as a private business worked as an Electronic Service technician for 10 years. He participated with the Braveheart Foundation in disaster relief programs, Child Rights programs, parliamentary education programs and voter education training, since 2010. He served as a librarian at BRAVEHEART e-Library and provided Computer and Internet training for young peoples.

Now he takes responsibility as a Data Analyst for Capacity building and research on anti-discrimination and legal identity program.

Khine Ran Thein

Admin Assistant

I was born in Rathedaung, Rakhine State. In 2016, after high school in Sittwe Township, I came to Yangon to attend Mobile phone software training and worked Honor Mobile Company. Assisted in organizing workshops organized by the Yangon Region Department of Ethnic Affairs. Participated in Rakhine Youth Development Forums Provided political knowledge. The wings institute Reconciliation Exchange Program Federal system; Peace building; Participated in the study of Nation-building and Reunification. In 1st December 2020, volunteered for the Braveheart Foundation on programs related to ethnic rights and civil rights. I am now the Admin assistant in charge at Braveheart Foundation.

MYAT ZAW HTWE

Project Coordinator

His name is Myat Zaw Htwe. He was born in Yangon. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Law (LL.B) from Dagon University. He has been working in Company Life for about 17 years. He had working experiences in Administration Field, Project Development and Implementation Field and also knowledge in the Call Center Sector.

Now he takes responsibility as Project Coordinator to participate and assist the Project Director in project management activities, maintaining and monitoring the project schedules, assessing & overseeing paralegals and promoting their capacity and coordinating and synchronizing between the Project’s Stakeholders.

Khin Thawdar Soe

Information Assistant

She was born in Yangon. She is a third year student of Physics and formerly worked as a make-up artist. She started in 2017 in collaboration with the BRAVEHEART Foundation in Yangon Region as a Paralegal (legal assistant) in Hlaingtharyar Township. Then in March 2021, she took responsibility as an Information Assistant. She will be serving information through the Braveheart Foundation Facebook Page and answering queries from online media and phone calls about legal identities. She will be responsible for discussing the application process for citizenship.

Htoon Aung

HR Officer

His name is Htoon Aung. He was born in Yangon. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from University of Computer Studies Mandalay. He has been working as In Charge in the food production industry, food and consumer goods whole and retail sale industry and landscaping industries for over 5 years and as HR Executive in phone sim card distribution business, car repair and spare parts business, travels and tour industry and restaurant services industry for over 4 years.

Now he takes responsibility as HR Officer for promoting institutional capacity, managing human resources, enhancing staff performance and developing internal policies and as a focal point to protection of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and child safeguarding in Brave Heart Foundation.

Ah Sae

Paralegal

Ma Ah Sae is a law student, who is an Akha ethinic, lives in Kart Pha village, Kart Pha group, Kengtung Township. She joined the Braveheart Foundation in July 2018. She is very interesting and enthusiastic in her current job as a paralegal because it is generally related to the law. During her community activities, she realized that most of the villagers from the hilly area are far from the law. Therefore, she wants to make more community awareness for those people in order to know the justice and basic rights themselves, and access to the law.

Do Phar

Paralegal

Do Phar is an Akha ethnic, who lives in Hwe Poong village, Mong Larng village tract, Kengtung Township. He joined the Braveheart Foundation in July 2018. Do Phar graduated with a bachelor of Arts in Economics from Mandalay University. According to his experiences, his environment villagers were ethnic groups who can’t read and speak Burmese language and also afraid to deal with Government staff. Community people need Identity card, however, they don’t know how to apply the documentation process . Therefore, he wants to give awareness education about citizenship rights and supporting the Community apply application process by working as a paralegal.

Ma Shwe Hla

Volunteer

My name is Shwe Hla and I am a volunteer of Braveheart Foundation. I was born at Pan Mai Kham village, Mong Larp Village Tract of Kengtung Township and my Ethnicity is Lahu. There were many Ethnic people who do not have legal identity and they do not know that legal identity is not priceless one. Local communities are far away from law, therefore, they did not make CSC cards. So, there are many people who do not have legal identity although they are Ethical people. In July 2020, I joined to Braveheart Foundation. Why I would like to join Breaveheart Foundation is only one answer, I want to support communities to know how to apply legal identity and the process of legal identity.

U Mg Mg

Volunteer

I am Mg Mg , lived in, Tin Htet Village , Kart Htaik Village Tract and my ethnicity is Akha . I serve as a volunteer for our village Social development group. Before I joined to Braveheart Foundation, I serve as a volunteer for our village. Also assist in applying CSC, newborn update and household list. And another reason for joining Braveheart is that I want to give awareness to the community for importance for legal documents.

U Mar Lar Khit

Volunteer

My name is Mar Lar Khit , who is a Lahu ethnic , lived in Wan Lin Village , Mong Kung Village Tract , Kengtung Township . In my Community . There were many Ethnic people who do not have legal identity and they do not know that legal identity is important one. I really would like to help the ethnics who do not know the applying process, the difficulties of languages barrier. So I joined the Braveheart foundation at a Volunteer at to help my community.

Thuya Nyein Chan

Volunteer

I am Thuya Nyein Chan , Inn Thar and Rakhine ethnic . I lived in Kyaing Ein , Kengtung Township. I am a second year student of specialization in Computer Major. Before I joined the Braveheart Foundation, I serve as a Volunteer for COVID-19 prevention Volunteer group, Kengtung. I really would like to help the people who do not know the applying process and the important of legal document.

Benjamin

Volunteer

My name is Benjamin. I was born at Ho Jin (1) village, Loi Mwe Village Tract , Kengtung Township and my ethnicity is Akha . I am working at Braveheart Foundation as a Volunteer, after joining a ToT Citizenship section by Braveheart. In ToT section, I came to know how to apply a CSC card. I really would like to help the ethnics who do not know the applying process, the difficulties of languages. And another reason for joining Braveheart is that I want to give awareness to Ethnic group for the differences between having legal documents and undocumented person.

Stephen

Paralegal

I am Stephen, lived in Hwe Kwere Village Tract , Phar Yan Noi village Tract , Kengtung Township and my ethnicity is Lahu . My educational background is that I am attending third year with Geography Major. Before I joined to Braveheart Foundation, I serve as a volunteer for our village. Also assist in applying CSC, newborn update and household list. In 2019, I joining a ToT Citizenship section by Braveheart Foundation . Because of Training, I could study 1982 Myanmar citizenship law and citizenship rights . After that, I became a staff of Braveheart Foundation.

Hnin Wutt Yee

Finance Officer

Hnin Wutt Yee is the Finance and Admin Officer and she joined to Braveheart Foundation which is mainly working for Capacity Building and Research on Anti-discrimination and Legal Identity in 2017. She had two years of experience in the administrative field before.

She was graduated from Bago University of Distance Education with Bachelor of History in 2011. She also got a Diploma in Accounting and Finance (LCCI) in 2019.

Lwin Mar Oo

Paralegal

Lwin Mar Oo received B.Sc. (Bot) and became a volunteer in child protection program of Save the Children in Myanmar. She has so many experiences in the private sector as an Accountant, a Finance Manager and a Secretary before she joined Braveheart Foundation.

She learnt about Braveheart from her friend and joined to Braveheart in 2019. She wants to support community in raising awareness of citizenship and importance of civil documentation.

Nang San Seng

Paralegal Coordinator

Nang San Seng is a Khun Shan ethnic, lives in Taryaw, Kengtung Township, and Eastern Shan State. She graduated with a Bachelor degree majoring in Physics from Taunggyi University. She used to work with World Vision International (Myanmar) for many years. 2014 census data indicated that Kengtung Township has 21013 undocumented people, which made her interested in citizenship field. Therefore, she joined Braveheart Foundation as a Local Coordinator running with 8 Paralegals in Kengtung Project in June, 2018. Those to whom without documentation made her wonder what are the reasons for lacking any proper documents. Thus, that arouses her to help the Community to get more aware of citizenship right, basic rights and to have accessed according to the existing law.

By getting Capacity of related knowledge from Braveheart, she did regular monitoring visit on how the Paralegals implemented the work in their respective target villages. Under her supervision, all of the Paralegals performed well and monthly targets were achieved. On the other hand, she also wants to continue gathering more volunteers from the other villages to provide them the capacity training on specific laws and regulations related to citizenship, so that they could empower the community to access basic rights and justice.

Than Htaik @ Yadana

Founder and Director

Than Htaik @ Yadana co-founded Braveheart Foundation in 2000 as a Language Training Centre to provide local youths with language proficiency in Myanmar. After several years of working in the education sector, during the country’s democratic transition period, Yadana navigated Braveheart Foundation to civic movements. First engagement was child rights and extended to land rights and ethnic rights respectively in following years. He also worked as an informal secretariat for 29 Ethnic Ministers across the country.

Seeing the shocking result of undocumented population according to 2014 Census (more than 11 million out of 51), he steered the organization’s engagement in citizenship issue in 2017 with Namati as a technical backstop. The first pilot project was in Hlaingtharyar of Yangon and later expanded to Kengtung of Shan East. Community-based paralegals were deployed to carry out daily activities on the ground for both projects.

Paralegal model is quite new in Myanmar but it has many potentials to effectively empower local communities whom were suppressed for many decades. Therefore, he volunteered in Myanmar National Paralegal Network ever since 2016 and still facilitating not only as a coordinator but national focal for regional network as well.

Maung Maung Thein Pe

Chairman

He established his own company, and operated the logging services from 1989 to 1996. He has acquired bids as a timber representative for Indian, Hong Kong, Singapore, and China s’ Companies, in Myanmar timber Enterprise from 1997 to 2000. Since 2001, he has been working on environmental conservation. In 2006, after he established an environmental conservation NGO for, setting up of Community Forestry, reforestation, and conservation of mangroves and forests. He has been a Chairman of the Environmental Conservation Working Group at Myanmar National NGO Network, which was set up in 2008, and he has worked there for four years.

In 2009, he collaborated with the Faculty of Fisheries of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, to conduct Freshwater fisheries research in five Southeast Asian countries. Since 2010, he has been working with the Braveheart Foundation for, the ethnic rights and regional development in cooperation with the Ministers of Ethnic Affairs, ethnic customary land ownership right, legal services of vacant land law, awareness of Farmland law, and activities for the child rights.

Since 2016, he has served as a Chairman of the Braveheart Foundation for Civil Rights. From 2017 to now, he is a national level member of the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade -voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA) which is cooperated with the Government of Myanmar and the European Union, and is also working as a Team Leader in (FLEGT-VPA), Yangon Region.

Yee Mar Thin

Paralegal

Yee Mar Thin works as a paralegal and lives in Shwe Lin Pan, Hlaingtharyar Township. There are still many citizens who do not understand 1982 Citizenship Law of Myanmar. Although she received B.Sc. (Phys), she joined Braveheart in 2018 and involves in legal empowerment for marginalized community especially in assisting civil documentation. She is eager to increase community awareness on the importance of citizenship. She wants to be a good paralegal.

Tun Tun Win

Paralegal

Tun Tun Win is an Indian, born in Hlaingtharyar and has two children. He has been involved in Hlaingtharyar Youth Network (HYN) as a secretary in 2013 and a member of the board of directors in Township Development Network of Hlaingtharyar. In addition, he worked as a counselor in YMCA counseling center for three years. He started working in Braveheart Foundation as a paralegal in 2017.

Thandar Win

Paralegal

Thandar Win has experience in child protection program of Myitta Yin Khun from 2009 to 2010. In 2018, she joined Braveheart Foundation working as a paralegal. She assists undocumented people to access civil documents. In addition, she raises awareness on citizenship right, helps in document collection and accompanies clients to immigration office.

Thin Thin Khaing

Paralegal

Thin Thin Khaing received a BA Degree in Business Management in 2005, born in Magway region. She worked as a volunteer in MMA of Mental Health Project and Action-Aid Myanmar before she joined Braveheart as a paralegal in 2018. She loves her profession as she has an opportunity to learn about citizenship and she can apply her knowledge and skill for community benefits.

Yan Paing Tun

Paralegal

Yan Paing Tun involved in child protection and anti-human trafficking program of Hlaingtharyar social organizations in 2013. In 2019, he worked in Braveheart Foundation as a paralegal. He himself is a migrant and he wants to promote citizenship rights for migrants in the area. He is interested in Braveheart’s mission in providing services for civil documentation.

Amy Tun

Paralegal

Amy Tun lives in Hlaingtharyar Township. She is a third year student of Chemistry and a member of the national paralegal Network which is an importance of civil documentation for everyone. Now she is a paralegal in Braveheart Foundation. She wants to support community in raising awareness of citizenship. She has been working in social development and experienced in community development. She participated in World Vision Myanmar as a Community Base Organizer from 2014 to 2016. She also worked in Equality Myanmar Office as a Community Organizer from 2017 to 2018 and she involved in Tdh-L Hlaingtharyar office as a Community Mobilizer from 2018 to 201.She loves her job. She believes that she will be more familiar the citizenship working group by working as a paralegal.

Dee Na

Paralegal

Ma Dee Na is a Paralegal, who is a Lahu ethnic, lives in Naung Voe Kao village, Mong Zem group, Kengtung Township. She was a health volunteer at the World Vision Project and has done a lot of health education in the village. She is an expert in knowledge sharing as well. In July 2018, she joined the Braveheart Foundation. Regarding her experiences, most of the Lahu ethnic people from the hilly area, do not realize the importance of the citizenship card. Therefore, she wants to help the Lahu people by sharing the knowledge for the importance of citizenship documents as much as she can. And she also wants to be a good Paralegal.

Charles Shepherd

Paralegal

Charles Shepherd is a Lahu ethnic, living in Poon Pin village, which is about 10 miles away from Kengtung Township. He is a final year student, majoring in Geography. According to his best of knowledge as a native ethnic, most of the villagers are working on the China-Myanmar border, and they are exploited and victims of human trafficking as they don’t have citizenship card. He joined the Braveheart Foundation, which is working for the citizenship, as a Paralegal in July 2018, because he thought it would help the local community to obtain their citizenship documents. He wants to become one who gives awareness raising about citizenship rights and help for the application process in Lahu villages.