Insight Myanmar

Episode #347: In the first part of this three-part series, three distinct yet intersecting voices reveal the human, political, and structural toll of the Myanmar crisis—and the inadequacy of ASEAN’s current response.   Charles Santiago, a veteran Malaysian politician and currently the chair of the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, delivers a scathing critique of ASEAN’s “process-d...

Episode #346: Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, reflects on Myanmar’s multiple crises and shares his multi-decade relationship with the country. Initially engaged through public demonstrations, Farmaner’s work evolved into policy-oriented advocacy aimed at cutting off the military’s power through sanctions, revenue disruption, and denial of legitimacy. He criticizes international strat...

The host of Insight Myanmar was invited to speak on the Light Forest Podcast. Here is a description of this platform: "The Light Forest podcast is a journey of exploration to bring more Light into how we live and regenerate our planet away from 'Dark Forest' systems of extraction and fear. Join me for conversations with change makers from around the world, as we explore philosophies, technology, s...

Episode #345: Does any and all engagement with the junta equate to some form of complicity? Moe Thuzar of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute challenges this notion by offering a nuanced perspective on ASEAN’s role in the Myanmar crisis following the 2021 coup. She argues that ASEAN’s diplomacy aims to exert influence and advocate for the Myanmar people’s aspirations.  ​​Moe Thuzar begins by explaini...

Episode #344: Dominic Faulder’s decades of reporting on Myanmar began serendipitously in 1981, when a Thai coup disrupted his travel plans and led to an impromptu journey to Burma for Thingyan. He was immediately struck by the atmosphere—enticing yet oppressive—and quickly became fascinated by the country's complexity, secrecy, and resilience. In the 1980s, he uncovered the unreported Mandalay fir...

Episode #343: “I literally thought the world was crumbling!”  Chloe, a young woman born and raised in Myanmar’s Inle Lake region, speaks viscerally about the country’s recent, devastating earthquake. The lake, known for its picturesque floating gardens and villages built on stilts, is one of Myanmar’s most iconic cultural landmarks. But the area is now in ruins.  And while the structural...

Episode #342: Dhammaloka, born Laurence Carroll in Dublin around 1856, was a unique figure in the history of Buddhism and anti-colonial resistance. Much of what we know today about Dhammaloka comes from Laurence Cox, Alicia Turner, and Brian Bocking in “The Irish Buddhist.”  Carroll left Ireland as a teenager, becoming a sailor and tramp, living on the margins of society. These experiences sh...

Episode #341: As the military has suffered setbacks in the field, its use of indiscriminate aerial bombing has only increased, taking a deadly toll on civilians and leaving a legacy of trauma for survivors.  In this episode, we take you inside a conversation with resistance artists and researchers who have been working with A New Burma , through their exhibitions in Thailand titled “When We S...

Episode #340: Having taught at Payap University in Chiang Mai from 2016–2022, Tony Waters mentored doctoral students grappling with Myanmar’s long history of war, repression, and foreign interference. His students’ pride in their cultures, alongside their questioning of the country’s fragmentation, helped shape his own understanding of Myanmar’s deeper crises and multi-layered history. One dissert...

Episode #339: Aung, a full-time journalist and women’s rights activist, sheds light on the many hardships Myanmar’s journalists now face both operating from within and without the country following the 2021 coup and the all-important issue of gender equality in the field. Reflecting back on the transition period, Aung laments that despite the modest advancements made in women’s rights and gender e...

Episode #338: “[The quake] revealed the tragic disconnect between the government's understanding—or perhaps, willingness to communicate—the severity of the disaster and the actual level of risk facing the population.” In a compelling analysis, Professor Dean Kyne critiques Myanmar’s disaster management, highlighting how decades of military rule have prioritized authoritarian control over public we...

Episode #337: U Jagara's journey is characterized by a deep commitment to spiritual practice, resilience, and the pursuit of authenticity. Growing up in a small town in Quebec, his early life was marked by a desire to find meaning beyond the material world. Inspired by his brother, U Jagara took his first vipassana meditation course with S.N. Goenka, and eventually traveled to Europe, India, and B...

Episode #336: “We just want war to end.” With this blunt declaration, Malaysian MP Wong Chen encapsulates his call for ASEAN to play a constructive role in resolving Myanmar’s civil war. Speaking from Bangkok, Wong outlines Malaysia’s two-pronged approach during its ASEAN chairmanship: first, cutting off weapons, revenue, and logistical support to both the junta and resistance forces to pressure t...

Episode #335: “It was super hard to cope with.” That’s how Mia Kruska, a German researcher and policy advisor with the Green Party in Berlin, describes learning about the devastating earthquake that recently struck Myanmar. Mia has cultivated personal, academic, and professional ties to the country over the past decade. Her connection began with a backpacking trip in 2014 that evolved into her aca...

Episode #334: James Rodehaver, head of the UN Human Rights Office on Myanmar, describes the aftermath of the country’s recent earthquake as a crisis layered upon crises. With communities already devastated by a brutal military regime, the natural disaster has only intensified their suffering. Yet instead of pausing hostilities, the military launched over 100 attacks in just nine days—many targetin...

Episode #333: “The challenging times that we are facing reveal more than what we should do—they reveal who we should be.” So says Jeshua Soh, a Singaporean entrepreneur who has built a life in Myanmar grounded in long-term commitment, creativity, and service. Calling himself a contrarian in his life and business choices, he was first drawn to the country after a teenage-year visit in 2012; his con...

Episode #332: “We should do something to change, or we should have [an] alternative way to do something,” says Lily, a Myanmar-based artist and documentary filmmaker who has turned from observer to humanitarian in the aftermath of Myanmar’s devastating earthquake. Originally intending to document the destruction in the Sagaing region, Lily quickly shifted focus confronted by the chaos on the groun...

Episode #331: “My friend told me it is like the crumbling of the world, because everywhere, everywhere is destruction.” Burmese Buddhist nun Sayalay (who has chosen not to give her full Pāḷi name for safety concerns) speaks about the humanitarian crisis following the devastating earthquake in central Myanmar. Focusing on the country’s spiritual heartland, the Sagaing Hills, home to centuries-old m...

Episode #330: “When President Bush called that morning and said, ‘Pull back [away from Myanmar],’ I just couldn't compose myself. I broke down in front of all the Marines, and so I had to run into the bathroom and I just cried and cried,” says Mie Mie Winn Byrd. “I knew we had all the capability to help them, to relieve suffering and provide aid, but there was nothing I could do.” In a powerful an...

Episode #329: “How could this happen now?! I mean, are we part of the problem allowing Burma to slip to that ‘ninth layer of hell?’” These anguished words from longtime USAID official Chris Milligan reflect his heartbreak over the U.S. failure to adequately respond to Myanmar’s devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Milligan, who helped reopen USAID’s Myanmar mission in 2012, recalls building it fr...

Episode #328: In the aftermath of Myanmar’s devastating earthquake, Htuu Lou Rae paints a grim picture of systemic neglect and discrimination faced by the country’s Muslim community. The disaster struck during ‘Eid al-Fitr, the holiest day of Ramadan, when mosques were packed with worshipers. Tragically, many of these mosques—centuries old—collapsed due to decades of state-imposed bans on their re...

Episode #327:  In the wake of Myanmar’s devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake, Meredith Bunn, founder of Skills for Humanity (SFH), describes a catastrophic humanitarian crisis compounded by years of civil war. Entire towns lie in ruins, clean water is scarce, medical facilities are overwhelmed, and children—many already malnourished—are now orphaned or trapped in rubble. “We get calls consist...

Episode #326: “Every country could face disaster, but every country also has plans to respond to those kind of like devastating events. But our country is not like others! We don't have the manpower, we don't have the techniques, we don't have the preparation and equipment. So usually, what we most rely on is volunteers and the unity of the whole country,” says Kyaw Kyaw. “But now this time, it is...

Episode #325: “It's going to take days, if not weeks, to really get a full picture on how devastating this initial earthquake was, let alone these aftershocks that were expected.” A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake, followed by a major aftershock, struck central Myanmar, leaving behind widespread devastation. Entire regions, particularly along the Yangon-Mandalay corridor, were heavily damaged. M...

Episode #324: In a deeply moving interview, Thiri discusses the devastating aftermath of the recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake, set against the backdrop of ongoing political turmoil. With communication lines down and infrastructure destroyed, even basic information about the crisis has been difficult to obtain—making reporting and relief coordination nearly impossible. Since the 2021 coup, the milit...