Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing was a 19 year-old political activist who was brutally executed by riot police during a significant protest in the Burmese capital of Naypyidaw. Her tragic death was the first known fatality in the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, galvanizing anti-coup demonstrators. Just days before her 20th birthday, the young woman was hiding under a bus shelter, taking cover from water cannons, when officers ruthlessly fired a shot into her head. The incident was caught on camera. Although K... moreMya Thwe Thwe Khaing was a 19 year-old political activist who was brutally executed by riot police during a significant protest in the Burmese capital of Naypyidaw. Her tragic death was the first known fatality in the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, galvanizing anti-coup demonstrators. Just days before her 20th birthday, the young woman was hiding under a bus shelter, taking cover from water cannons, when officers ruthlessly fired a shot into her head. The incident was caught on camera. Although Khaing survived, her brain was rendered functionless, and doctors advised taking her off of life support. Days later, she passed, as political tensions heightened. Her sister, Mya Thado New, used media outlets to urge citizens to “uproot the military dictatorship”. Several thousands of protestors attended Mya’s funeral. Her photos were used to draw worldwide attention to the dangerous and controversial political environment that erupted in this Southeast Asian nation.
