When Nwayoo — not her real name — got a letter from the Department of Home Affairs asking her to explain why her passport was invalid, her heart sank.
Her passport had been revoked by the Myanmar embassy in Australia.
It was because she opposed a brutal military coup in her homeland, after the army overthrew the democratically-elected government on February 1 last year.
Since then, the military junta (also called the Tatmadaw) has revoked the passports of dozens of high-profile opponents to their regime and some have had their citizenship cancelled.
The embassy in Australia has also been accused of intimidation after sending out letters demanding individuals pledge allegiance to the junta and condemn the civil disobedience movement opposing the coup.
In the past 18 months, the South-East Asian nation has descended into chaos — the junta has executed political prisoners and stands accused of burning villages and torture.
More than 15,000 have been arrested since the coup and more than 2,230 have been killed by the junta, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Without a valid passport, Nwayoo feared she would be sent back to the conflict-riddled nation.
Home Affairs told her they had received "unfavourable information" from her embassy and that her passport was declared void, giving her 28 days to offer an explanation.
"If they do not accept my explanation, I will have to go back," she said.
"If I go back to my country, firstly, at the airport, they will arrest me. And they will also arrest my family."
The Australian office of the National Unity Government (NUG) — a group of elected civilian MPs, ethnic group leaders and anti-coup protesters formed after the coup — wrote a letter vouching for her predicament and a handful of others.
But some find themselves in the precarious situation of having a valid visa — meaning they can legally stay in Australia — but without a valid passport.
'I don't want to play a dangerous game'
Many Myanmar passports have not been cancelled but are on the verge of expiring — a number that will only increase as more time passes.
Myanmar citizen Prudence — not her real name — told the ABC she feared going to the embassy to renew her passports.
She was concerned the extensive information she would be required to hand over — the names of relatives and their addresses — could expose and endanger her loved ones.
"I don't want to play a very risky game with them. They are very dangerous," Prudence said.
"If I go to the embassy, they're going to check my details. If they found out [the whereabouts] of my family back home, there's going to be a problem.
"They cannot do anything to me, but they might do [something] to my family."
Prudence and Nwayoo wanted to speak out about what's happening in Myanmar and the issues facing the diaspora, but spoke to the ABC on the condition of anonymity due to fears for the safety of their families.
The NUG's Australian representative Dr Tun-Aung Shwe said he wanted to work with Australia's Home Affairs and Immigration departments to find a more permanent solution to his office writing letters on a case-by-case basis.
"We need the Department of Home Affairs and Ministry of Immigration's thorough consideration to resolve this problem," he said.
"Now they [the embassy] are using the passport issue as a tool to repress the Myanmar citizens, even if they are in Australia."
The Myanmar embassy in Australia told the ABC this was "misinformation" and the office continues to renew and issue passports as quickly as possible.
'Without ID, we are nobody here'
Not having a valid passport — the key identity document for international residents in Australia — has caused some logistical headaches in everyday life, too.
It has complicated work and housing options — some said that not having a valid passport left prospective employers unable to check their visa status on the website Vevo, meaning they might be overlooked in favour of other candidates.
Youth activist Lisa Mon said even the simple task of picking up a parcel from the post office was difficult without a passport.
"Without ID, we are nobody here," she said.
Some are unable to reach 100 points of identification required for many government services, or found it was a barrier when applying for rental properties.
"I was trying to get [other] ID, like a driver's licence. But the problem is, I can't get ID without ID," Prudence said.
Some said there was also a lack of understanding about why they could not simply go to their embassy to renew their passports.
A person who is recognised as a refugee can apply to DFAT for a "convention travel document", which can be used as ID or for international travel.
Those who are not refugees might be eligible for a certificate of identity from DFAT.
Dr Shwe and other activists also hope the Australian government will recognise the NUG as the legitimate government of Myanmar over the junta.
So far, only the Czech Republic has taken that step.
In May, Australia moved to downgrade diplomatic ties with Myanmar in the wake of the coup by not appointing a new ambassador, and instead appointing a head of mission called a Charge D'Affaires.
If the NUG was to be recognised, Dr Shwe hoped that would empower his newly-opened office to issue passports or other official documents, giving Myanmar nationals here more certainty.
The ABC approached the departments of Home Affairs and Immigration for comment.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said they encourage Myanmar nationals to consult with Home Affairs on visa options.
"Australia has a longstanding policy of recognising states, not governments," DFAT said.
"We appreciate the importance of understanding the many voices for democracy in Myanmar, and Australian officials have engaged with National Unity Government (NUG) representatives and others on a regular basis."
Nwayoo said she wanted return to her home country once it was safe to help rebuild her broken nation.
But she also felt she was out of options and has applied for a protection visa in Australia.
She's not alone – since the coup, around 700 people from Myanmar have applied for onshore protection visas.
Mounting calls for sanctions
There are growing calls from Myanmar people for Australia to sanction the military regime, and Foreign Minister Penny Wong has repeatedly said sanctions are under active consideration.
Australia has an existing arms embargo and in 2018 slapped financial sanctions and travel bans against five individuals with direct responsibility for atrocities against the Rohingya Muslim population in Rakhine State.
But Australia has imposed no new sanctions imposed since the February 1 coup, despite sanctions from allies including the US, the UK and Canada.
Newly-elected independent MP Zoe Daniel, a former ABC South-East Asia correspondent, this week said it was time for Australia to sanction the two largest military-owned conglomerates — Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited (MEC) — to sever the junta's access to foreign revenue.
"These funds are being used to purchase the arms, heavy artillery and jets used in systematic attacks against civilians," she said in a statement.
Tasneem Roc, from the Myanmar Campaign Network, said there have also been calls from prominent US senators to sanction the state-owned enterprise Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE).
"Unfortunately because of what's happening in the Ukraine and other places around the world, Myanmar has taken a back seat," Ms Roc said.
The network wants targeted sanctions against the top generals to be imposed by August 28, marking 100 days since the Labor government was elected.
"The Foreign Minister can decide to do this immediately. It's really important because the Myanmar military, businesses and economy is very much integrated into the global economy," she said.
"Cutting off that revenue will limit their power."
The ABC's Foreign Correspondent last week highlighted the plight of many young people and students whose future hopes were crushed by the coup.
Ms Roc said young people who should be studying at university are taking up arms as a last resort.
"Seeing their passion and their determination against one of the biggest militaries in South-East Asia — it's very inspiring, but it's also really heartbreaking.
"We need to look at the Myanmar crisis from an Australian perspective, and Australia can create solutions."
