Mahn Tome Sein (59) is a Community Organiser (CO) for the The Myanmar Council of Churches and lives and works Kansu Village, in Kyanpyaw Township in the Irrawady Delta, 180km west of Yangon. He has been a CO for 4 years but has been a community based worker his whole life. He has dealt with child soldiers, land confiscation and labour disputes. He said, âI will continue to work for human rights in Myanmar. If someones rights has been abused or exploited then I will stand up for that person. â
He is married with with 4 sons.
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With the support of Act for Peace, The Myanmar Council of Churches (MCC) trains Community Organisers whose mission is to assist their community confront cases of injustice. The Community Organisers act as a base of knowledge and intermediary between the community and relevant organisations dealing with injustice such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), UNICEF, anti-trafficking police, lawyers and government officials.
From 1962 to 2011, a military junta ruled Myanmar, suppressing almost all opposition and exercised absolute power. During those periods, the people suffered human rights abuses, including the forcible relocation of civilians and the widespread use of forced labour, including children. On 1st April 2011, the Burmese Military Regime stepped down for the Democratisation of the country.
Progress has been made in the country but it still has a long way to go before all human rights are restored.