Myanmar in a PodShell

Myanmar is now in the fourth year of a new phase of civil war. Atrocities are being reported across various parts of the country. More armed groups have emerged, and for many, civil war has become a way of life. Discussions about the progress of the war, victories, and defeats are common. However, conversations about peace are rare. Myanmar in a Podshell wants to give peace some space because, aft...

In this special edition of Myanmar in a Podshell, we talk to one of the best experts on ethnic minorities in the country: Martin Smith. Together with Martin, we analyse the current situation in Myanmar and the central and destructive role played by the junta, but also what historical and contemporary challenges this poses for different ethnic minorities.

In Myanmar, the resistance against the military has declared a Spring Revolution. This revolution aims for nothing less than the reinvention of the country. But the Spring Revolution is not the first revolution; it is one in a long line of revolutions - successful and failed - that Myanmar has seen. Episode 17 of Myanmar in a Podshell discusses the current revolution in contrast to previous revolu...

So far, there has been no successful diplomatic initiative since the coup in Myanmar 2021. The international community is struggling to formulate a common position and seriously address the crisis. ASEAN, too, has failed with its five-point consensus. Myanmar in a Podshell discusses with the diplomats Charles Petrie and Scot Marciel the possibilities and limits of diplomacy in Myanmar.

Discussions are again being held on the repatriation of the Rohingya. History makes it clear that the vicious circle of displacement and repatriation could only be broken if more fundamental questions of citizenship and recognition were discussed. In this episode of Myanmar in a Podshell, we seek to discuss the situation of the Rohingya with a particular focus on the perspective from Bangladesh.

Civil war has been raging in Myanmar for almost two years now. The well-equipped military uses all means to break the resistance, but the resistance is unbroken. In this episode of "Myanmar in a Podshell", we talk about the conflict from a military perspective. What strategy is promising, what tactics should be used? And how will the conflict change in 2023?

In view of the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar, environmental issues and the climate crisis have been pushed to the margins of attention. Myanmar however is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries facing cyclones, draughts just to name a few. Therefore, environment issues will have a massive impact on the country, its people and also its politics in the coming years.

History seems to be repeating itself in Myanmar. The 1988 uprising and subsequent military takeover has many parallels to the nationwide uprising and coup of 2021. Of course, parallels do not mean that there are also significant differences - the consequences of digitalization are the most obvious. Myanmar in a Podshell speaks with two historians to understand what is similar and what is different...

The people of Myanmar are demanding justice. But there are different understandings of what justice is. The military government sees itself as the guarantor of law and order, but the resistance, the National Unity Government and the various ethnic groups see it as nothing but brutal despotism. They want to create a new law, a new rule of law, as part of their revolution. In a conversation with two...

Myanmar has a long history of violence. There has been no period of nationwide peace since the end of the colonial era in 1948. With the coup d'état, the military has opened a new chapter in the conflict. We discuss what chances there are for genuine peace and what lessons should be learned from the failed peace attempts of the past.

Since the coup, Myanmar's economy is under immense pressure. People lost their income, poverty is on the rise, and the future prospects are bleak. Both, the military and the resistance are trying to cut off the enemy's sources of income. Overall, the economic damage is so huge that it can never be compensated for by humanitarian aid alone. Which leads to the difficult question: Is it possible to r...

Journalism in Myanmar has never been an easy endeavor. But since the coup d'état on 1 February 2021 things went from bad to worse. A lot of journalists have been jailed or fleed the country. The media landscape is split into supporters of the military and supporters of the National Unity Government and the so-called revolution. Space for unbiased reporting is severly limited.

Democracy is one of the most used buzzwords when it comes to Myanmar. In episode 7 of "Myanmar in a Podshell", we don't talk primarily about democracy as a form of governing or as a buzzword, but about concrete democracy or democratic structures and practices at the community level in Myanmar. In other words, we want to understand what people in Myanmar actually make of the concept of democracy.

A lot has been written about Generation Z in connection with the coup in Myanmar. Obviously, it is a driving force in the fight against the military regime. But who or what is Generation Z in Myanmar? We talk to a member of Generation Z and an observer close to it to find out more in episode 6 of "Myanmar in a Podshell".

One year after the coup d'état on February 1, 2021, there hasn't been a coordinated response by ASEAN or the UN. Different countries continue to pursue different interests. Saw Kapi and Hunter Marston discuss these interests and what they mean for Myanmar in episode 5 of "Myanmar in a Podshell".

Since the coup on February 1, 2021, the education system in Myanmar has ground to a halt in large parts of the country. Another generation might grow up without a proper education. In Episode 4 of "Myanmar in a Podshell", we discuss the consequences of this and what an inclusive, representative education system in Myanmar would have to look like.

The third episode of "Myanmar in a Podshell" explores the question of what democracy in Myanmar is all about. What do the people in the country understand by democracy, what is the scientific perspective and what does the military mean by "disciplined democracy"? Last but not least we dicuss what future elections could look like and when they might take place.

The second episode of "Myanmar in a Podshell" focuses on Myanmar's Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and their role since the February 1 coup. How united are they and where are the possible rifts between the various EAOs, the Tatmadaw and the National Unity Government (NUG), the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and the People's Defense Forces...

In the first episode of "Myanmar in a PodShell" we discuss the political future of Aung San Suu Kyi after the coud d'etat. What is her legacy and what would be her take on the "people's defensive war" declared by the National Unity Government?