Insight Myanmar

The stakes for Myanmar are very high in the upcoming US election. Given the two candidates’ different perspectives on international involvement, the transition to a new US administration will directly affect the way the country helps shape global responses to authoritarianism and human rights abuses. This is particularly true in Myanmar. The panel discussion focuses on how U.S. leadership might en...

Episode #275: Nyein Chan May's story is one of unyielding resilience and fierce commitment to justice in the face of overwhelming adversity. Born and raised in Myanmar, she grew up in a society steeped in patriarchal norms and military oppression. But Nyein Chan May refused to be confined by these outdated ideologies. She left Myanmar just before the coup to study political science and intersectio...

Episode #274: Kyaw San Han, a former police captain turned dissident, offers a stark narrative of courage amid systemic oppression. Fleeing Myanmar with his family, he now lives in Japan, where he continues to advocate for democracy and resistance against the military junta.   His journey began in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, a natural disaster that exposed the military's indifferenc...

Episode #273: The 4th International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies (ICBMS), hosted by Chiang Mai University in August 2024, brought together over 800 scholars, activists, and experts to discuss Myanmar's political, social, and economic challenges, including the impact of the 2021 coup. Insight Myanmar Podcast was given exclusive access to cover the event, where we recorded brief interviews wi...

Episode #272: “I didn't want to be in a world where we have to keep watching people struggling for freedom and then getting suppressed and getting their dreams crushed. [In Burma,] it was mostly women and girls who were participating in the protests, even more than men! I prayed at that time… I'm not religious, but I just wished and prayed for some way to help. And from that point on, after that p...

Episode #271: During the anti-military protests of 1988, the man known as Monkey was just an observer. A friend asked him, “Are you a man? If you are a man, why do you just sit and look?” However, over the next 9 years, Monkey had the misfortunate of becoming more personally acquainted with the terror of the Tatmadaw, which regularly brought death and destruction to his community in Karenni s...

Episode #270: Adelina Kamal, who makes her second appearance on the podcast, guides listeners through an enlightening journey into the complex and often fraught world of humanitarian aid and crisis management. With nearly three decades of experience within the ASEAN system, Adelina brings to the table a wealth of knowledge about the political and operational nuances of delivering humanitarian aid...

Episode #269: Jansen Stovicek reflects on the emotional and practical challenges surrounding his decision to disrobe after 16 years as a monk. Initially, the idea of disrobing felt unimaginable, as his identity had been deeply intertwined with monastic life and strictly following the 90 billion-plus rules of the Vinaya. But after disrobing, Jansen encountered difficulty securing a place to stay as...

Episode #268: In a discussion emblematic of the complexities inherent in international diplomacy, Scot Marciel, former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar, elucidates the multifaceted challenges of addressing the crisis there. Marcel’s thinking, informed by his extensive diplomatic service, highlights a pervasive hesitancy among international actors to engage decisively with the Myanmar military, largely d...

We were honored to join our friends at The Bangkok Podcast to discuss the origins of our platform and how we've navigated the challenges of hosting discussions in the post-coup environment. We are sharing an interview that occurred on their feed earlier in the year.

Episode #267: Yèshua Moser-Puangsuwan discusses the profound impact of landmines in Myanmar with an equal mix of empathy and depth. He vividly describes how retreating soldiers have planted landmines indiscriminately in both military and civilian areas, leading to devastating consequences. His meticulous investigations reveal the Myanmar military's systematic and large-scale use of landmines, whi...

Episode #266: We are joined by Kimi Colney and Makepeace Sitlhou, journalists covering the humanitarian crisis and ethnic conflicts along the Indo-Myanmar border in India’s northeastern states. They discuss the complex dynamics of this region, characterized by its diversity in ethnicity, language, and religion, and its physical and psychological isolation from the rest of India. Kimi and Makepeace...

Episode #265: Marc Batac's story is one of profound political transformation, reflecting the broader struggles of Southeast Asia. Born in the eastern regions of the Philippines, Marc's early exposure to socioeconomic struggle, and the dysfunctionality of governance and political patronage in his homeland, shaped his worldview and set him on a course of activism. In 2017, Marc played a pivotal role...

Episode #264: Shalini Sri Perumal delves into her expertise in community-based healthcare, particularly focusing on the integration of indigenous and traditional medicine among Burmese migrant women in Thailand. Shalini's professional journey includes significant work with the Mae Tao Clinic on the Thai-Burma border, an important healthcare facility founded by Dr. Cynthia Maung. The clinic has exp...

Episode #263: Sanjay Valentine Gathia weighs in on the complex India-Myanmar relationship, highlighting the historical context and evolving policies that have shaped it. He underscores the importance of understanding the diverse voices emerging from Myanmar's Spring Revolution, emphasizing the need for India to reassess its strategic interests and adopt a more inclusive approach. He critiques the...

Episode #262: Hnin Thet Hmu Khin, a dedicated women's rights activist, reveals the often undocumented struggles and triumphs of women in Myanmar's revolution. Despite their widespread and committed participation, women are conspicuously absent from media narratives and decision-making roles, often relegated to the background even as they stand at the forefront of the fight for freedom. She bravely...

Episode #261: Saw Kapi delves into his journey and contributions to Myanmar's democratic and educational landscape. His story began with involvement in the 1988 student uprising against military rule, which led him to the Thai-Burma border to join the resistance. The struggle for democracy became a central theme in his life, intertwining with his identity as a student and later as an educator. Saw...

Episode #260: Helene Buchholz, a journalist from Germany, ventured into the heart of Myanmar's conflict, driven by a personal mission to shed light on an underreported crisis. A radio journalist for the German public broadcasting network, Helene stepped out of her comfort zone, undergoing extensive training to prepare for the dangers that lay ahead. In Myanmar, Helene embedded herself with the Peo...

Episode #259: When Dr. Jenny Ko Gyi followed her military husband to a remote posting in rural Gangaw, she had no idea how profoundly the experience would affect not only her own spiritual life, but also go on to impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of meditators across Myanmar. Jenny was working at the local clinic, and a colleague told her about a small meditation retreat she had attended d...

Episode #258: On this special day of August 8th, the anniversary of 8888, we bring you a story of freedom. Azad's mission is a testament to the enduring spirit of international solidarity and the fight for democracy. An internationalist from the USA, Azad's journey began in the heart of the Rojava revolution in northeastern Syria, where he spent four years aligning with the Kurdish-led Syrian Demo...

Episode #257: This is a story about how the Burmese are willing to pass through hell and high water in order to evict the military from their seat of power, and achieve their democracy. Lorcan Lovett is an experienced journalist who has dedicated much of his career to covering Myanmar’s tumultuous and complex political and cultural landscape. He paints a vivid picture of the dynamic energy that ch...

Episode #256: Michael Haack, a long-time advocate and policy expert, outlines the long and arduous journey of the Burma Act from its inception to appropriation. The Burma Act, a legislative framework guiding US policy toward Myanmar, required relentless lobbying to secure the necessary funding, ultimately resulting in a significant $167 million appropriation, a notable increase in a period of gene...

Episode #255: Roger Huang dives into the enigmatic nature of Myanmar's political landscape, arguing that the transition period wasn't driven by external pressures like sanctions or international isolation, but by an internal recalibration towards the military realizing its vision of a “disciplined democracy.” This vision is rooted in the failure of the Burmese Way to Socialism of the 1960s-70s, wh...

Episode #254: Kitti Prasirtsuk, a professor at Thammasat University, explains that neither ASEAN, nor Thailand in particular, have done enough to address the regionally important Myanmar crisis. In terms of Thailand, its strong economic ties to Myanmar, as well as their close military-to-military relations, have influenced its passive approach. He underscores the necessity of engaging Myanmar's mi...

Episode #253: This is the 4th installment of our interview with Jonathan Crowley, a dedicated vipassana meditator in the tradition of S. N. Goenka. In this episode, he speaks about the time he and his wife Carolyn spent in Myanmar, and how that affected his spiritual journey in general, and specifically his practice of meditation. Myanmar is particularly vulnerable to “Orientalism,” a term referri...