Myanmar Poet Nandar Reflects on Mental Health and Displacement After 2021 Coup

What happened

The local Myanmar outlet DVB English published a poem by feminist storyteller and activist Nandar, written after the 2021 military coup forced her to leave her hometown. Nandar describes experiencing previously unexplained mental health symptoms amid displacement and political turmoil, eventually receiving a diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder while in Thailand.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. Nandar’s poem 'Where Are You From?' recounts the disorientation and grief of losing one’s home, safety, and loved ones under the shadow of ongoing conflict. She highlights how mental health struggles intertwine with political crisis, noting that healing cannot be individual but must be collective and political in nature.

The piece frames the broader context of Myanmar’s instability impacting civilians beyond direct violence, drawing attention to displaced communities’ psychological trauma and the difficulty of reconciling identity amid exile and fear for those left behind.

Known from the source

• The poem 'Where Are You From?' was written by Nandar after the 2021 military coup in Myanmar.
• Nandar left her hometown in Myanmar due to the coup and sought medical help in Thailand where she was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
• The poem connects personal mental health struggles with the political crisis in Myanmar.
• Nandar is the founder and executive director of Purple Feminists Group and a known activist and storyteller.
• The poem was adapted for an international audience at a CSW event in New York in 2025.

What remains unclear

Nandar’s background as the founder of the Purple Feminists Group and her extensive activism underscores the significance of storytelling as a form of resistance and social healing in the Myanmar conflict. The poem was adapted for presentation at an international forum in New York in 2025, indicating ongoing global outreach by Myanmar civil society.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verify that all described symptoms and diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder are directly sourced from Nandar’s account in the DVB article. Confirm no casualty or responsibility claims related to the military coup are implied beyond Nandar’s personal experience and the poem’s thematic content. Check that the source’s description of Nandar’s biographical details matches known public information.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: DVB English. Open the source.