When Myanmar's junta announced a conscription law to help crush a popular pro-democracy uprising, "Khaing" knew there was only one way to escape its clutches and began planning her escape.
Weeks later, the former teacher was hidden in a smuggler's van heading into Thailand with little more than some clothes, cash and an ID card, not knowing when she would be able to return.
Now scraping a living in Bangkok without papers, Khaing constantly worries about a tap on the shoulder by Thai police and deportation back to the junta.