Meet Esther, an independent journalist reporting from the frontlines of Myanmar

September 30, 2025

Exile Hub has published a profile of Esther, a journalist born in Myanmar's Mon State who chose to return to the dangerous Thailand-Myanmar border region to report from conflict zones after briefly finding safety in Australia. Despite facing constant danger, Esther documents critical stories about Myanmar's military junta, including their 2024 reactivation of conscription laws affecting young men and women. Her work has been supported by Exile Hub's Critical Voices Fellowship 2024, enabling her to publish impactful articles giving voice to those affected by forced military conscription.

Who is affected

Young men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 who are subject to Myanmar's reactivated conscription law
Families of those conscripted who are left uncertain and anxious about their loved ones' fate
People in Myanmar's conflict zones where Esther reports from
Young men who have fled their villages to avoid conscription
Women who have watched brothers and husbands taken by the army

What action is being taken

Esther is actively reporting from dangerous conflict zones in Myanmar
Exile Hub is supporting journalists like Esther through their Critical Voices Fellowship 2024
Esther is documenting and publishing stories about forced military conscription
The Myanmar military is enforcing conscription laws and taking young people to serve in the army
Exile Hub is partnering with Global Voices in Southeast Asia to empower journalists and human rights defenders

Why it matters

The military junta's conscription law threatens young people with five years in prison for evasion
Esther's journalism provides visibility to stories that would otherwise be silenced
Her reporting documents human rights abuses by the Myanmar military
As an exiled independent journalist, she provides firsthand accounts from conflict zones
Her work creates a record of the experiences of those affected by Myanmar's ongoing conflict since the 2021 coup

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices