Over the past decade, Khine has navigated the frontlines of peace and human rights—monitoring conflicts, countering hate speech, documenting violations and shaping policy responses. From fragile ceasefires in Rakhine to advocacy campaigns for migrant children in Thailand to studying social norms for Rakhine women, she has consistently bridged the gap between marginalized communities and decision-making spaces at national, regional, and international levels.
Background: Witnessing Division and Seeking Tools for Change
Khine’s work in peacebuilding began in the wake of deep division. Growing up in Rakhine State, she witnessed the Rohingya conflict of 2012 and the widening mistrust between communities that had once lived side by side. She saw early how these seeds of mistrust grew larger and manifested into a fully fledged conflict, yet had already taken shape when Rohingya again were formally excluded from citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law—an exclusion reinforced by the 2008 constitution. At the time, Khine studied English literature, the highest level of study available locally. In Yangon, she became slowly more involved in political work, creating opportunities for people to engage in dialogue.
By 2016, she joined the Technical Secretariat Center of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) observing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) process and assessing its impact on both ethnic armed groups and the public. Only a few groups signed the NCA and were included in the peace talks, excluding many of the major ethnic armed groups. Monthly meetings revealed that the military dominated the space, and the hierarchical conversations rarely moved forward. By 2017, the peace dialogues had broken down. “If you want peacebuilding, you need to have both actors at the table,” Khine emphasized—a principle she learned early, as she watched how the exclusion of major actors who were affected, similar to the concurrent Rohingya conflict, eroded the peace processes.
From 2019 to 2022, Khine worked with the Center for Diversity and National Harmony, focusing on countering hate speech, particularly against Muslim communities. She monitored online discourse during elections, tracking propaganda and inflammatory content. Her fluency in the Rakhine language allowed her to analyze multiple perspectives in the conflict between the Arakan Army, the Myanmar military, and local communities—including Rohingya voices. Her reports were shared with the foreign embassies, illustrating how foreign aid became weaponized by the military and how people could not escape the conflict. Everyone was suffering, yet it seemed that some of the root causes of the conflict—long-held distrust and exclusion—were not addressed.
In 2013, the “Myanmar anti-Muslim riots” took place in the Mandalay Region, hardening tensions between the Buddhists and Muslim population. Khine facilitated peace dialogues between different youth groups to challenge prejudice. She saw how critical such peacebuilding tools are and that older generations did not have these skills to navigate such conflict. It also revealed to her the deep interdependence of these issues—when the Muslim population in Rakhine was displaced, food became scarce for the Buddhist majority, as they had been the main producers.
These experiences showed Khine that education and inclusive dialogue grounded in empathy and informed by historical knowledge are vital to tackling major causes of conflict.
Building Policy Responses for Communities: Her Time at Mahidol University
In 2024, Khine began her Master’s in Human Rights and Democratization at Mahidol University, supported by the Global Campus of Human Rights (EU programme) and seizing opportunities to be engaged in research projects supported by the K4DM. Coming from a non-legal background, she wanted to understand legal frameworks more deeply. At first, she felt intimidated by the academic environment, but soon she became accustomed to the fast-paced environment where she both learned the theory and practice of human rights. The curriculum combined classroom discussion with regional and international perspectives, closing the gap between her professional experience and formal academic knowledge.
Mahidol was a turning point for Khine. It gave her the confidence and tools to not only be on the reacting end of the challenges she witnessed but also actively contribute to solutions on the policy level. Engaging with peers from across the region broadened her perspectives. She gained practical skills in the human rights field, including documenting violations, conducting research, and writing policy briefs and opinion pieces. One of her practice advocacy campaigns—focused on the educational rights of migrant children in Thailand—circulated widely on social media and attracted attention from universities nationwide.
“Coming from Myanmar, one can feel powerless”, Khine said. “However, there can be a thoughtful and collective response.” Learning these tools and international frameworks enabled her to return to local communities facing abuse and explain their rights in ways they could clearly understand. She emphasized that using education to give back is vital, ensuring that knowledge reaches those directly affected—because awareness that is not shared has little value.
Currently, Khine is finishing her master’s thesis focused on ethnic identity and nationalism among Rakhine women, exploring how social norms—such as pressure to marry within the same ethnic group—were tied to nationalist pride and, in some cases, resistance to cultural adaptation. She approached this work not to criticize but to understand the role of identity in sustaining or challenging social divisions.
Her studies at Mahidol and the research opportunities gave her the skills to engage not just as a human rights activist but as a diplomatic, strategic advocate—able to navigate multiple audiences and adapt her message. She understands that in some contexts, pushing too hard can close doors, and that progress often depends on timing, relationships, and trust.
Joining the System: Applying her Experience in the UN
She is now excited to apply all these skills and experience at the United Nations. As an intern, she will be able to see the inner workings of a stakeholder she has encountered many times from the outside when reporting human rights violations.
Khine’s work has consistently focused on connecting the grassroots to policy spaces and has brought local realities into regional and international conversations. Her dream is to champion environmental rights in Rakhine, where conservation is often overlooked and the Arakan Army holds significant influence. She envisions advising the army to prioritize issues like water contamination and the vulnerability of coastal areas to storms, as she has seen the devastating effects of unpreparedness on the population when a natural disaster hits. That’s why she wants to advocate for proper risk management and disaster planning that protects everyone.
Her story is a reminder that peace is not built in a day. “Sometimes we feel our impact is small while the scale of injustice feels large. But we need consistency and to show up with purpose listening to the voices of those who are marginalized.” She believes it cannot succeed without including all affected communities and addressing the narratives that fuel division. For her, peacebuilding is as much about bridging gaps and challenging differences as it is about being grounded in empathy. Having witnessed neighbors turn against each other in the Rakhine conflict, she is committed to fostering understanding and advancing inclusive solutions. Peace is the product of sustained effort, constant listening, and the ability to adapt strategies without losing sight of the goal: a future where communities divided can live together once again.