13 Facts About Kyaw Thu

One of the top leading men of Burmese cinema in the 1980s and 1990s, Kyaw Thu has starred in over 200 films and has directed several successful films.

Since the early 2000s, Kyaw Thu has devoted much time to do social work for the poor, and in the process has gradually emerged as a vocal critic of the Burmese military government.

Kyaw Thu was born Kyaw Win on November 2,1959 to father U Sein Tin and mother Daw Mya Than.

Kyaw Thu studied Physics major at University of Yangon up to final year.

Kyaw Thu met his future wife Myint Myint Khin Pe when they were both attending university at Hlaing Campus.

Kyaw Thu made his film debut in 1984 in the film Chit Kyoe Lay Net Myin.

Kyaw Thu has starred in over 200 films and directed six films in a career spanning over two decades.

Kyaw Thu won his second Academy Award in 2003 for the Best Director in the film Amay No Bo.

Kyaw Thu has used his prominence to help the country's poor.

Kyaw Thu is founder and vice president of the Free Funeral Service Society, which provides free funeral services to the poor.

In 2003, Kyaw Thu was elected vice president of FFSS.

The FFSS led by Kyaw Thu supported numerous people involved in the civil disobedience movement and announced it wouldn't provide family members of police or military personnel with funerals and health care after witnessing the security force's killings of the protestors, whereas the military council made terrible threats to the civil servants and forced them to work.

Kyaw Thu was honored with Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015.