Khin Ohmar

Who is Khin Ohmar?

Khin Ohmar is a Burmese democracy activist noted for her leadership in the 8888 Uprising and her work with the Women's League of Burma and the Burma Partnership.

Khin Ohmar was a senior student at Rangoon Arts and Science University studying chemistry when the events leading up to the 1988 anti-government protests began. She was twenty years old. On 5 September 1987, military ruler Ne Win announced the withdrawal of the newly replaced currency notes, 100, 75, 35 and 25 kyats, leaving only 45 and 90 kyat notes, apparently because only the latter two are numbers divisible by 9, considered lucky by Ne Win. Many Burmese people thus lost their savings overnight. Students, who often had savings for their tuition, were particularly affected. The next day, Khin Ohmar joined 20 other students in writing a letter to Ne Win protesting the move, which they forwarded through their university chancellor. The 21 signatories were arrested and held until Burma Union Day, 12 February 1988.

According to her 1995 testimony to a US Senate sub-committee, she then joined a 16 March student rally protesting the death of student activist Phone Maw, which was violently suppressed by riot police; she escaped when a Japanese diplomat gave her and other protesters shelter in his home. On 18 March, the universities were closed. She continued to help coordinate protests and international media coverage until the climactic rally of 8 August 1988, from which the "8888 Uprising" takes its name.