Aung Din, Executive Director, Co-Founder

Aung Din served over four years behind bars as a political prisoner in Burma after organizing and helping to lead the country’s nationwide pro-democracy uprising in 1988 as Vice Chairperson of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), the largest national student organization and outlawed by the regime. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Burma’s Youth Liberation Front (BYLF), and Cabinet Secretary of the Parallel Government, founded by former Prime Minister U Nu during the peak the 1988 pro-democracy uprising in September. The Amnesty International adopted him as a Prisoner of Conscience in 1989 and its chapters worldwide campaigned for his release. He co-founded the Washington, DC-based U.S. Campaign for Burma, an umbrella group of Burmese dissidents in exile and American activists, in 2003.

He is also country representative of the Thai-Burma border-based “Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma” (AAPP). He has been quoted in hundreds of media articles, testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Congressional Human Rights Caucus, House Committee on Foreign Affairs and U.S. Commission of International Religious Freedom. He traveled on speaking tours across the United States. He received a Degree of Master of International Service from American University’s School of International Service in 2007, a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Singapore Institute of Management in 2000 and a Degree of Bachelor of Engineering from Rangoon Institute of Technology in 1994.

Jennifer Quigley, Advocacy Director

Jennifer Quigley has worked on the movement for freedom and justice in Burma in different capacities for ten years. Prior to joining the U.S. Campaign for Burma, she worked for the Women’s League of Burma and its member organizations on international advocacy and capacity building both while living in Thailand and in the U.S. Her work included advocating for and with women from Burma at the United Nations to both ensure the U.N. Security Council and other UN bodies pressure the military regime to end violence against women and bring peace and democracy to Burma and guarantee women from Burma are full participants in all stages and decision-making levels of the peace-building process.

As the Advocacy Director for the U.S. Campaign for Burma, she works to ensure international policymakers, including the US government, support the movement for freedom and democracy in Burma, provide support for human rights and humanitarian needs, as well as seek to bring justice and an end to crimes against humanity and impunity in Burma.

Myra Dahgaypaw, Campaigns Coordinator

Myra Dahgaypaw is a Karen human rights activist from Karen State, Eastern Burma.  She was an internally displaced person for about 12 years and a refugee for 17 years until she resettled to the United States. Myra has lost many family members and friends to the brutality of Burma’s military regime. Since the age of 13, Myra has played a strong role in her community as an organizer and a human rights advocate.

As a member of the Karen Women’s Organization and a board member of the Karen American Communities Foundation, Myra has testified before Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. She assists and advocates for refugees from Burma who are resettled in the US. Myra has participated in many panel discussions and conferences on Burma.

Thelma Young, Communications and Development Coordinator

Thelma Young has been involved with the movement for freedom and justice in Burma for over 6 years in various capacities. She was the Campaigns Coordinator at USCB in 2007-2008 before moving to the Thai-Burma border. During her two years on the border she worked with a variety of Burma organizations in the movement to support them in their international advocacy efforts. She also worked extensively with civil society throughout ASEAN to lobby for a more open and human rights oriented regional body.

She is now back at USCB, and as Communications and Development Coordinator she works to ensure the growth and expansion of USCB’s message and work. She is also currently getting her MA in Media Studies from The New School.

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