Cynthia Maung

Dr. Cynthia Maung (Burmese: စင်သီယာမောင် [sɪ̀ɴθìjà màʊɴ]; born 6 December 1959) is a Burmese medical doctor who since 1989 has lived in Mae Sot, on the Thai-Burmese border. An ethnic Karen, Dr. Maung left Burma (Myanmar) after the 8888 Uprising and has since run a clinic treating Burmese refugees, migrants and orphans at Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot on the Thai-Burmese border, together with 100 paramedics and teachers.

Maung received Southeast Asia’s Ramon Magsaysay Award for community leadership and she was listed as one of 2003 Time Magazine’s Asian Heroes. Altogether she has received six international awards for her work. In 1999, she was the first recipient of the Jonathan Mann Award, sponsored by Swiss and US health organisations.

Cynthia Maung has been married to Kyaw Hein since 1992. Together, they have two children: Nyein Chan Maung and May Thint Sin.

Early life and education

Cynthia Maung was born to ethnic Karen parents Mahn Nyein Maung and Hla Kyi in Rangoon, and grew up in Moulmein with her parents and 6 siblings. Cynthia attended State High School No. 4 and it was during this period that political upheaval and the student movement began to cause disruptions to the education system in Burma. Maung found that many of her friends were dropping out of school, as they needed to work in order to make a little money to assist their family.