Elizabeth: a Myanmar doctor in exile, music and feminism ^{CEFR B2}

Exile Hub, which partnered with Global Voices after the 2021 military coup, seeks to empower journalists and human rights defenders who left Myanmar. Elizabeth offers a striking example of how exile reshaped one person's work and creativity. She grew up in Central Myanmar, where her aunt ran a small book rental shop and she spent long hours reading Chinese fantasy novels. In medical school she began a blog, publishing love poems and short "edutainment" pieces on practical topics such as handwashing and the importance of motorcycle helmets. Her decision to study medicine was personal—she wanted to sign her books "Dr. Elizabeth, Medicine University." She graduated in 2012 from the University of Medicine and later specialised in interventional cardiology.

After the military seized power in 2021, Elizabeth refused to work under the junta and used live-streaming to encourage other healthcare workers to resist. Authorities charged her under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code for "spreading false news" and "inciting unrest." She spent about a year hiding in remote villages before crossing into Mae Sot, Thailand, in 2022. Exile prompted her to rethink social norms; she reflected on how patriarchy structured daily life and said that feminism "opened her eyes" by naming invisible systems that restrict women. As a house resident she had often spoken up about unfair treatment but did not then know the term; she also credits the heroines in Chinese novels for showing ways to fight injustice.

Music became both therapy and a tool for organisation: Elizabeth wrote songs that mix pain with strength, one of which became part of the "Blood Money Campaign" protest anthem and spread through resistance networks, while another, "Tattoo Revolution," was featured on NUG Radio. In Mae Sot she joined a wellness session and met exiled women supported by Exile Hub. During a Feminist Residency and with a Feminist Storytelling Grant she is now creating The Phoenixes, a music video series that celebrates Myanmar's women in exile. She says the project gave her space to sing her songs, make better music, and help friends chase their dreams; today she continues to heal through rhythm, resistance and radical hope.