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BOOK PANEL 

THE POLITICS OF LOVE IN MYANMAR: LGBT MOBILIZATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS AS A WAY OF LIFE

Friday, 18 January 2019, 6.00pm to 8.30pm NUS Law (Bukit Timah Campus), Block B Level 2, Staff Lounge

Author Associate Professor Lynette J. Chua (NUS Law) Book Panel: The Politics of Love in Myanmar: LGBT Mobilization and Human Rights as a Way of Life This book panel was held on Friday, 18 January 2019, at NUS Law to celebrate the publication of Associate Professor Lynette Chua’s new book, The Politics of Love in Myanmar: LGBT Mobilization and Human Rights as a Way of Life. The book, published by Stanford University Press, is an ethnographic study of how a human rights movement, the LGBT rights movement in Myanmar, understood and put human rights into action. About 60 faculty members, researchers, students, and members of the public attended the event. Associate Professor Dan W. Puchniak (Director of Centre for Asian Legal Studies, NUS Law) kicked off the event with a short speech to welcome the guests and recognize Associate Professor Chua for her research accomplishments. Associate Professor Chua then gave a short introduction about her book. This was followed by the panel discussion, chaired by Dr. Nyi Nyi Kyaw (Visiting Fellow, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute). The panel consisted of Professor David Engel (SUNY Distinguished Service Professor,

 

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State University of New York, Buffalo), Professor Andrey Yue (NUS Department of Communications and New Media), Professor Antony Terence Anghie (NUS Law), Mr. Hla Myat (Deputy Director, Colours Rainbow), and Associate Professor Chua, who gave their comments in turn and addressed questions from the audience. After the panel discussion, Associate Professor Chua presented copies of her new book to Professor Simon Chesterman (Dean of NUS Law), Associate Professor Puchniak, and Mr. Hla Myat. The event concluded with book signing by the author and a reception. About The Book The Politics of Love in Myanmar (Stanford University Press) offers an intimate ethnographic account of a group of LGBT activists before, during, and after Myanmar's post-2011 political transition. Lynette J. Chua explores how these activists devoted themselves to, and fell in love with, the practice of human rights and how they were able to empower queer Burmese to accept themselves, gain social belonging, and reform discriminatory legislation and law enforcement. Informed by interviews with activists from all walks of life—city dwellers, villagers, political dissidents, children of military families, wage laborers, shopkeepers, beauticians, spirit mediums, lawyers, students—Chua details the vivid particulars of the LGBT activist experience founding a movement first among exiles and migrants and then in Myanmar's cities, towns, and countryside. A distinct political and emotional culture of activism took shape, fusing shared emotions and cultural bearings with legal and political ideas about human rights. For this network of activists, human rights moved hearts and minds and crafted a transformative web of friendship, fellowship, and affection among queer Burmese. Chua's investigation provides crucial insights into the intersection of emotions and interpersonal relationships with law, rights, and social movements. The book is available from Stanford University Press, click here. Reviews “The Politics of Love in Myanmar is highly original, compelling, and powerful. Lynette Chua's ethnography excavates the emotional bonds and 'way of life' that developed through human rights practice by LGBT activists in post-2011 Myanmar. Beautifully written and brilliantly theorized, the book is highly recommended reading for scholars interested in human rights, legal mobilization, social movements, and LGBT politics."

—Michael McCann, University of Washington "Lynette Chua deftly opens a new window on the empirical investigation of emotions, demonstrating the surprising ways that emotions animate not just relationships and social movements, but the interpretation, assertion, and lived meaning of rights. The lessons drawn from the vivid, human lives of Tun Tun, Tin Hla, and their fellow activists are a revelation."

—Kathryn Abrams, University of California, Berkeley

 

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Pre-Book Panel Conversations (Left to Right): Professor Antony Terence Anghie (NUS Law), Associate Professor Lynette Chua (NUS Law) & Professor David Engel (SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, State University of New

York, Buffalo).

Pre-Book Panel Conversations (Left to Right): Associate Professor Lynette Chua (NUS Law), Associate Professor Helena Whalen-Bridge (NUS Law), Associate Professor Dan W. Puchniak (Director of Centre for Asian Legal

Studies, NUS Law), Professor David Engel (SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, State University of New York, Buffalo) & Professor Antony Terence Anghie (NUS Law).

 

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Associate Professor Dan W. Puchniak (Director of Centre for Asian Legal Studies, NUS Law) giving his welcome speech.

Author Associate Professor Lynette J. Chua (NUS Law) giving her introduction.

 

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Professor David Engel (SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, State University of New York, Buffalo) giving his comments.

 

  

Professor Audrey Yue (NUS Department of Communications and New Media) giving her comments.  

 

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Professor Antony Terence Anghie (NUS Law) giving his comments.  

   

Book Panel (Left to Right): Mr Hla Myat (Deputy Director, Colours Rainbow), Dr Nyi Nyi Kyaw (Panel Chairperson & Visiting Fellow, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute), Professor Antony Terence Anghie (NUS Law), Professor Audrey

Yue (NUS Department of Communications and New Media), Professor David Engel (SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, State University of New York, Buffalo) & Associate Professor Lynette Chua (NUS Law). 

  

 

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Associate Professor Lynette Chua (NUS Law) addressing questions from the audience. 

  

  

Professor Simon Chesterman (Dean, NUS Law) amongst the audience.

 

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Captivated audience

Captivated audience  

 

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Captivated audience

 

Associate Professor Lynette Chua (NUS Law) presenting a copy of her book titled “The Politics of Love in Myanmar: LGBT Mobilization and Human Rights as a Way of Life” to Professor

Simon Chesterman (Dean, NUS Law).

 

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Associate Professor Lynette Chua (NUS Law) presenting a copy of her book titled “The Politics of Love in Myanmar: LGBT Mobilization and Human Rights as a Way of Life” to Associate

Professor Dan W. Puchniak (Director, Centre for Asian Legal Studies, NUS Law).

Associate Professor Lynette Chua (NUS Law) presenting a copy of her book titled “The Politics of Love in Myanmar: LGBT Mobilization and Human Rights as a Way of Life” to Mr Hla Myat,

Deputy Director, Colours Rainbow

 

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Group Photo (Left to Right): Professor David Engel (SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, State University of New York, Buffalo), Associate Professor Dan W. Puchniak (Director of Centre for Asian Legal Studies, NUS Law),

Professor Antony Terence Anghie (NUS Law), Associate Professor Lynette Chua (NUS Law), Professor Simon Chesterman (Dean, NUS Law) & Dr Nyi Nyi Kyaw (Panel Chairperson & Visiting Fellow, ISEAS Yusof Ishak

Institute) & Professor Audrey Yue (NUS Department of Communications and New Media).

Book signing by author Associate Professor Lynette Chua (NUS Law)

 

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Book signing by author Associate Professor Lynette Chua (NUS Law)