Zoya Phan is a human rights activist from Myanmar (formerly Burma). She became an advocate for the rights of her people, particularly the Karen ethnic minority after her family experienced persecution and violence at the hands of the military junta in Myanmar.

Zoya’s father was a Karen resistance fighter, and her family faced the harsh realities of the conflict in Myanmar. She escaped to Thailand as a refugee at the age of 14 and later moved to the UK, where she became an outspoken activist, drawing attention to the human rights abuses in Myanmar. Zoya Phan has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the situation in Myanmar, speaking at various events, conferences, and institutions globally. She’s been an influential figure shedding light on the struggles faced by ethnic minorities in Myanmar, advocating for democracy, human rights, and an end to the violence in her homeland.

1. “In fact, it is the dictatorship’s policy that isolates the people of Burma while it reaches out to different countries every year and opens new embassies around the world. It is the dictatorship’s policy that kills civilians and makes people poor. As long as the dictatorship is in power, foreign trade and investment in Burma will not benefit the people. Instead, it will end up fueling the oppression in Burma.”
— Zoya Phan

2. “What people in Burma need is a democratic federal Burma that guarantees autonomy, rights and protection for all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion or race.”
— Zoya Phan

3. “In Burma, economic engagement enriches the regime, as the economy is controlled by the regime. Economic engagement benefits this elite, not ordinary people. The money is spent on the military, stolen by the elite.”
— Zoya Phan

4. “In Burma, we are being told by so-called experts and some governments that we must be patient and that there can be incremental change through Parliament. The UN did this and failed spectacularly, and while they did, the human rights situation got worse. The dictatorship ignored the UN and the international community, making not a single concession. Now we are being told again these Parliaments are new, we should engage with them and if improved they can bring positive change. I don’t place any hope in that. ”
— Zoya Phan