An anti-junta educator rebuilds her life in exile
Originally published on Global Voices
At the end of 2022, Thapyay and her family crossed the border into Mae Sot, seeking safety. Photo from Exile Hub, content partner of Global Voices. Used with permission.
On the Thai-Myanmar border, many lives are quietly being rebuilt.
Since the military junta launched a coup against the Myanmar government in February 2021, an estimated 3.7 million people have been internally displaced, according to data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). However, behind every story of displacement is a person learning to begin again, often with uncertainty, limited opportunities, and the weight of everything left behind. This is the story of Thapyay, one of many Myanmar women living in exile who continues to move forward with courage and determination.
Before the coup, she was a university lecturer and Associate Professor in Central Myanmar, dedicating more than 20 years to teaching. Her classroom was a place where young people learned, questioned, and imagined their futures.
But when the military coup happened in Myanmar, Thapyay joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), a group of young people fighting back against the junta regime through acts of civil disobedience and resistance. Like many CDM participants, the consequences came quickly. Remaining inside the country was no longer safe. At the end of 2022, Thapyay and her family crossed the border into Mae Sot, Thailand, seeking safety.
For someone who spent decades in academia, the transition was painful. But instead of trying to recreate her past, she began exploring new possibilities for the future.
Thapyay joined the Zin Yaw Women Rising Program, supported by Exile Hub and partners. The program offered career coaching, digital skills training, and peer support, with courses delivered through an online learning platform.
For Thapyay, the experience was transformative. She explains that “The most helpful part was not only the technical skills. It was learning to see myself differently again.”
She added, “It helped me understand what parts of my identity I needed to let go of and what parts I should hold onto with confidence.”
A new chapter
Today, Thapyay works as a content writer, allowing her to work safely from home. For her, this milestone represents far more than a job. It represents the possibility of rebuilding life after disruption.
“It was not easy to strip away my past titles and start again, but I now see this not as an ending but as the beginning of a new life.”
Her confidence, slowly but surely, is returning.
“For that, I am deeply grateful to the Zin Yaw program, the trainers, and the organizations that made this opportunity possible.”
Words for other women at the border
Thapyay knows that many other women in exile are facing similar challenges. Her message to them is simple, but powerful:
“Struggling in these conditions is exhausting physically and mentally. But please do not give up. Protect your mental strength.”
For many people rebuilding their lives after displacement, the future can feel uncertain. But Thapyay has learned something important along the way.
She encourages fellow women in exile, “Try to trust the process. Sometimes we focus too much on the result and forget that every small step we take today has value. One day, opportunities will appear. These struggles are simply part of the path forward.”
She added, “Circumstances may limit you, but no one can limit your talent or your effort.”
The skills she is learning, the work she is doing, and the resilience she continues to build are all part of that process. Along with many women living lives on the border, Thapyay continues walking that path, one step at a time.
