The New Beginnings 2023

Life is a tapestry woven with threads of the expected and the utterly unforeseen. For my wife and me, 2023 began with the brightest of threads: our marriage. We didn't have a grand ceremony or exchange vows in a hall of celebration. Instead, in the quiet solemnity of a Nay Pyi Daw courthouse, we signed our names on a marriage certificate in front of witnesses, making a simple yet profound commitment to each other. Little did we know how quickly that promise to stand by each other would be tested.

The "thick and thin" arrived on our doorstep with a ferocious roar. As political turmoil gripped our homeland, a military junta silenced dissent and cast a shadow of fear over our once-familiar world. As a voice for democracy, I had always believed in fighting for a brighter future for my country. But I was no radical; I was simply a citizen using my voice. Yet, in a world where freedom was a threat, even a quiet voice was too loud.

The wake-up call was brutal and chilling.I discovered my name on "Han Nyein Oo," a notorious Telegram channel used by the military junta to spread propaganda and issue arrest warrants for those who opposed them. The revelation that I had been flagged and targeted shook me to the core. As a professional myself, I am always mindful of using social media platforms and what I share to the public. It was a betrayal that cut deep—a reminder that a simple Facebook post could become a weapon, and that trust could be broken by a single screenshot.

✌🏽 They tried to speak ill of me—but all it does is make me proud. It proves I’ve stood on the right side from the very beginning. My voice has echoed, my actions have registered, and even the monsters have taken notice.

An Uncharted Journey Begins

Fear became our constant companion. Messages from friends and family urged us to flee. With our lives hanging in the balance, a heart-wrenching decision was made: we had to leave. We packed our lives into a few bags, leaving behind not just a home, but the life we had known, with no certainty of return. The journey ahead was unlike any other we had taken, fueled by a mixture of fear and a fierce determination to protect our future.

And so, here we are, hand in hand, in a new land. The road ahead is uncharted and daunting, but our love is the compass that guides us. This journey is our story—a testament to love's power to conquer adversity and the resilience of the human spirit.

We are a newlywed couple, navigating an unfamiliar world, our dreams not forgotten but simply reframed. We carry the hope for our homeland in our hearts, a beacon that reminds us of where we came from and what we are fighting for. As we embark on this new chapter, we know that as long as we have each other, we have everything we need to light up even the darkest of days.

✌🏽 If you happened to notice my middle finger, please know it wasn’t intentional—I was simply juggling too much, both in my hands and in my head, as thoughts about our future weighed heavily. That said, if the gesture carries any meaning, let it be directed squarely at Min Aung Hlaing—the most shamelessly greedy and catastrophically foolish military dictator Myanmar has ever known.