Four years after Myanmar's military overthrew the government and took over the country, millions of people who fled are struggling to find hope for a better future.
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00:00In a small apartment on the outskirts of Bangkok, Ma Pew, not her real name, tidies up the one-room
00:09apartment she shares with her husband.
00:12The 28-year-old is from Myanmar, where she used to teach young children while studying
00:17for her teacher's qualifications.
00:20But all that changed once the military took over.
00:23She became one of millions to flee the country, and now works the night shift six days a week
00:30at a fish processing plant in Thailand, afraid to return home.
00:48On February 1, 2021, Myanmar's military overthrew the democratically elected government and
00:55seized power, kicking off nationwide democracy protests and an armed resistance, lasting
01:02for four years.
01:04The bloody conflict has sent millions of people fleeing for safety into nearby countries,
01:09like Thailand.
01:15Thailand is now home to the world's largest Burmese diaspora, over 4 million people, according
01:21to estimates by the UN Migration Agency.
01:24Finding difficult and poorly paid jobs, and living in fear of being sent back.
01:3325-year-old Tura, also using a pseudonym, is one of those millions.
01:38He fled Myanmar last year, when the military junta announced mandatory conscription.
01:44Rather than fight for the regime, he chose to escape, and now lives with his sister in
01:49Bangkok.
01:55Myanmar's military leaders have extended the state of emergency another six months,
02:17and promised to hold elections this year, an announcement that has been scrutinized
02:21around the globe.
02:23In the meantime, the millions of exiles who fled abroad may have found safety in their
02:28communities, but four years later, still struggle to have hope for the future.
02:34Howard Jung and Harrell Hughes for Taiwan Plus.