After completing eleventh grade, I faced a tough decision because of my family's financial struggles. They couldn't support my further education, and things became even more difficult when my dad had an accident and couldn't work. Only my sister and grandmother were there to provide, and it wasn't enough.
So, I made the difficult choice to travel to another Southeast Asian country illegally. This journey was filled with threats and challenges. I distinctly remember one harrowing part of the trip along the Myanmar-Thailand border. A broker sent me on a small boat to a remote island with no food for two days. After that, another broker came to take us across the Thai border.
While we were on the river, heavy rain caused the boat's engine to fail, making the river-crossing journey even more dangerous and uncertain. As the Thai border police were also patrolling in the area, the boat driver rushed us to hide under fishing nets. There were about 20 of us hiding in that cramped space. Faced with risks of both arrest and drowning, we could barely breathe.
Thankfully, I and two others from our boat made it to the Thai side. The broker then separated those staying in Thailand and those who were going to neighboring countries. I was destined for one of these neighboring countries, and the challenges continued as we had to navigate border patrols and be cautious every step along the way before arriving at our destination.
Fortunately, once I arrived in our hoped-for country, I reunited with my elder brother, and we both began working at a Chinese restaurant there. We worked there for nearly three years. However, our journey took a difficult turn when the Immigration Department arrested us because we traveled illegally and without any valid travel documents. They initially placed us in a crowded cell where we had to spend seven days.
In that cell, I faced challenges like having to undress completely for showers, which made me uncomfortable around the other prisoners, especially the boys. We were about 80 people in one block, and there were no spare clothes. After those seven days, they separated my elder brother and me, sending us to different jails. This was emotionally challenging, and I felt lonely and afraid.
The jails were categorized into two types: one for those under 20 years old, and one for adults. Before my brother had to move to another jail, he knew that I was fearful and he encouraged me not to be afraid in his absence. As we were about to be separated, I couldn't sleep throughout the entire night. My brother had to leave early in the morning to move to the adult prison, while I was scheduled to go in the evening to the juvenile prison. He didn't try to wake me up, but I knew he was leaving, and we exchanged silent goodbyes. After our separation, we didn't see each other for nearly a year.
Living in jail was like hell. There were many challenges. Sexual harassment was rampant there. In jail, each dorm had 10 people, and I was the youngest one in my dorm. Some people in my dorm were very rude, ordering others to serve them, such as by cleaning their beds and washing their plates. As for me, I had to be hyper vigilant all the time, such as when taking shower. I vividly remember one man who was taller and stronger than me. He tried to follow me and grab my private areas. I fled, was traumatized, but I remained silent, and I did not tell anyone what had happened.
After having spent six months in the juvenile prison, I was transferred to a detention camp, where we were kept outdoors under inhumane conditions. Normally, such detention does not last long and serves only as a transition between jail time and release. But for undocumented migrants, the duration of this detention is unclear, and our fate often depends on whether we receive help from our respective country’s embassies.
I cried each and every day and tried to avoid other people. Eventually, after four months, a representative from the Myanmar Embassy came to the prison. They established contact with my father, and arranged for me to travel back to my country. I lost so much weight in prison that by the time I returned home, my weight was only 42 kilograms. Upon my arrival home, I took a three-month mental break and did not go anywhere. Then later on, I decided to continue my education.