Zoya Phan is one of the leading activists in Europe for democracy in Myanmar. She has met with former British Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and David Cameron, and featured in major international media including the BBC, CNN, Sky, ABS and Al Jazeera.
Phan is from the Karen ethnic group in Burma. When she was 14, Burmese army soldiers attacked her village and she and her family were forced to flee. They hid in the jungle for weeks before finding their way to a refugee camp in Thailand, before moving on to the UK.
In 2008 Phan and her family founded the Phan Foundation, which provides aid for the Karen people, protects Karen culture and promotes human rights. Phan is also chair of the European Karen Network, which brings together Karen people across Europe, and is on the board of the Austria Burma Center.
She has been recognised as a TEDGlobal Fellow, a Women’s Forum Rising Talent, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Her autobiography, Little Daughter, was published in 2010.
As of 2022, Phan works as Campaigns Manager at the Burma Campaign UK.
