In February 2026, I began my remote research internship at the Myanmar Studies Center (MSC), Palacký University Olomouc (UPOL), Czech Republic, from mid-February through the first week of May 2026. I was born and raised in Myanmar and pursued a B.A. (Hons) degree in Anthropology at the University of Yangon. I also earned a Diploma in Secretarial Management from the Yangon University of Economics (2016–2017) and have been involved in a wide range of volunteering and youth leadership activities.
I am currently a graduate student at Chiang Mai University, Thailand. My research focuses on online fundraising and civic mobilization in Myanmar’s current pro-democracy movement. This study explores the five-year (2021-2025) dynamics of online fundraising through these key questions:
- What are the online fundraising activities and strategies of pro-democracy groups amidst the revolution in Myanmar?
- What motivates them to participate in these fundraising campaigns, and how do they perceive the impacts of these campaigns?
- What are the relationships and networks among the pro-democracy groups regarding online fundraising in the political movement in Myanmar?
Furthermore, I also have a broader interest in digital rights, the governance of emerging technologies such as AI and blockchain, and internet-related policies and regulations. Since 2020, I have been working for the Youth Internet Governance Forum Myanmar (yIGF Myanmar), a UN-recognized youth initiative that promotes a safer internet, raises youth awareness of internet governance, bridges communities, and supports Myanmar youth in regional and global multi-stakeholder dialogues aligned with UN IGF values.
I have research experience in internet governance and digital rights, including contributions to NetMission.asia publications: Internet Access as Basic Human Rights: A Study on Internet Shutdown in Myanmar & the Downside of Free Connectivity (2022) and How The Myanmar Cybersecurity Bill 2022 Threatens Rights to Privacy, Freedom of Expression, and Access to Information (2023). From 2022 to 2024, I joined internet governance fellowships, events, and forums across Asia, including in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan. These experiences strengthened my engagement with digital policy and expanded my personal and professional network.
Through my internship at UPOL MSC, I look forward to collaborating with European researchers on Myanmar-related issues, particularly internet-related challenges in the post-2021 coup context. I also intend to contribute to interdisciplinary Myanmar studies among scholars from diverse backgrounds. In the long term, I aim to build my career as a digital policy researcher or policy consultant in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Contact me at: zinmyohtet_z@cmu.ac.th