Insight Myanmar

Episode #206: Soon after Delphine Schrank arrived in Yangon in 2008 as a Washington Post reporter to cover the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, she realized that life under the brutal military was a big part of the story there. Her curiosity led her to uncover a thriving underground network of dissidents committed to building democracy. Her resulting book, The Rebel of Rangoon , delves into the lives...

Jason Tower, country director for the Burma program at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), exposes the dark underbelly of an operation that ensnares hundreds of thousands of people into a form of modern-day slavery across Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines, forcing them to act as scammers in this multibillion dollar “industry.” Describing these scams as “pig butchering” because...

Episode #205: In a world where representation and diversity are more critical than ever, Aishah Shahidah Simmons unveils the little known story of Dr. Leon Wright, a remarkable African-American professor who served as the US Cultural Attaché in Rangoon from 1955-57, and who was authorized to teach meditation by the great meditation master, Sayagyi U Ba Khin. Aishah's own quest for representation w...

You're listening to a Special Release episode of Insight Myanmar Podcast. In the aftermath of Operation 1027, a pivotal military action initiated by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, and further supported by a coalition of ethnic fighters and PDF units, Myanmar is undergoing a transformative moment and so we are launching this series in response. Our guest is Matthew Arnold, an academic and independ...

Episode #204: Ashin Kovida, a prominent pro-democracy Buddhist monk, shares his remarkable journey from a remote village with no electricity to becoming a fervent advocate for democracy and human rights. His story is one of growth and transformation. He initially questioned foreign political concepts like democracy, and was against Aung San Suu Kyi, but later embraced the ideal of democracy and ca...

Special Release: Vladmir Lenin once said, “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen.” At this moment, in the wake of Operation 1027, Myanmar is going through one of these weeks. We now find ourselves in a complex, fluid, fast-moving and high-stakes situation, one which may well very well decide the fate of the country, so we are rushing the production of rel...

Episode #203: Jack Myint's journey is a tale of cultural contrast and resilience. He had the opportunity as a teenager to attend a program at a US college, sponsored by the State Department. Coming from the very traditional, Myanmar public schools, his experience of open discussion and critical engagement in an American college classroom was an awakening. Returning to Myanmar from the vibrant Amer...

Episode #202: Diego Prieto, guided by the allure of the Buddha's teachings, embarked on what would become a transformative journey into Myanmar. His first experiences with meditation took place in his home country of Chile, and he continued to take courses across South America, before heading to India, where he began work on a documentary about the Buddha’s teachings. But Diego’s perspective profo...

Episode #201: Sean Turnell provides a deep analysis of Myanmar's economic history and its transformation from a prosperous nation to one of the poorest in Southeast Asia. Throughout the episode, Turnell’s personal experiences, including his time as an economic advisor to Aung San Suu Kyi and his 650-day imprisonment following the coup, intersect with the nation's trajectory, emphasizing the resili...

Episode #200: “I am an Indian and American, and I carry both in my blood,” says Jagdish Dalal, who goes by the name Jag. “I am one of those with a Western mind and Eastern soul. So whenever I think about Myanmar, or I think about other Asian countries, I have a personal feel for it.” With over five decades of leadership experience advising Fortune 100 companies, Jag is a sought-after speaker on in...

Episode #199: Following a period of rebellion and exploration through the tumultuous 1960s, Michael Stein embarked on a journey that ultimately led him to a profound spiritual connection with S.N. Goenka. Winding his way through Israel, Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan, he reached India just before the 1971 war with Pakistan. Michael had a deep sense of belonging the moment he crossed the border. At...

Episode #198: Wes Kingsley's remarkable journey takes us through his CIA assignments in various conflict-ridden regions, such as post-independence Congo, and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. It also takes us to Burma, which holds a special place in Wes's heart amid all his other adventures, as that is where he met his future wife and developed an appreciation of Buddhism. Wes’s first CIA sti...

Episode #197: Meet Sai, a poet whose words echo the raw emotions and evolving landscape of Myanmar. Known by his Instagram handle, In the Land of Grief and Gold , his verses offer first-hand insight into the country's turmoil, inviting others to empathize with and support the people’s revolution in Myanmar. Sai's journey is intertwined with his desire to reconcile his faith and Buddhist practice w...

Episode #196: “You have these new battlefields that the military seems unprepared for and certainly doesn't have the manpower or resources. And yet they're fighting! They've chosen to fight in these places.”  In this episode, security analyst Zach Abuza unravels the intricate web of conflict that continues to unfold in Myanmar. The Burmese military finds itself ensnared in an unprecedented mu...

Episode #195: “I just always felt most comfortable in retreat settings, and in monastic settings to some degree… and in strip clubs.” This is Natalie Claire’s story, and though she no longer is employed as a stripper or sex worker, her perspective on her story and her decisions is very thought-provoking. Natalie traces her story back to a very messy parental divorce. To help her cope, she took up...

Episode #194: In the midst of Myanmar's turbulent times, Manny Maung, a dedicated advocate from Human Rights Watch, sheds light on a dire situation. Behind closed doors, a shadowy military court system relentlessly tries civilians without proper legal representation. This injustice has escalated to an unprecedented level since the coup, eroding the foundations of democracy and rule of law. The Mya...

Episode #193: In Myanmar's tumultuous landscape, Patrick Winn urges us to see the drug trade not as a moral dilemma but as a potent force shaping the nation's destiny. This trade is a means to amass power, manipulate borders, and influence Myanmar's very future, much like how Saudi Arabia was changed by the discovery of oil there. Winn's perspective on the multibillion dollar drug trade is pragmat...

Episode #192: “Where are the fighters of Europe who came out against fascist Hitler, or communist Stalin? All disappeared?” This is one of many blunt questions posed by Kasit Piromya, a distinguished Thai diplomat with 37 years of experience. He delivers a powerful critique, calling out the paltry global response to Myanmar's democracy movement. Piromya passionately criticizes the feeble commitmen...

The host and founder of Insight Myanmar was interviewed by the podcast, "Rocklaz Radio with Tanmay Shah." Trish, the founder of Bamama Cooks, joins the conversation as well.

Episode #191: Myra Dahgaypaw was born in a camp for internally displaced persons in Karen State. Yet there was no safety there. From infancy, she had to flee with her family to escape violence, facing gunfire, airstrikes, and landmines. No matter where they stopped, the Burmese military found them and forced them to flee again. Myra wondered why this was happening to her and her family, and began...

Episode #190: A carefree Australian surfer, Grahame White’s life changed dramatically on a chance encounter with Hermann Hesse’s, Siddhartha . After reading it, he decided to practice breathing based on a short line in the text. What happened next blew him away. “The mind became very bright and luminous after about five minutes and I said, ‘Oh, this is better than drugs!’” Grahame then practiced B...

Episode #189: Nan Su Mon Aung took on a significant role to support her country and government by agreeing to become the NUG Representative in France. Despite acknowledging the challenges and responsibilities that come with the position, she embraced it with determination. Nan Su Mon Aung's mission is to inform French society about the situation in Myanmar, represent Burmese citizens in France, an...

Episode #188: Min Ma Naing, a photojournalist and narrative visual artist, stumbled onto her path accidentally. While studying in Hong Kong, she often went to a park to take a break from the strain, where her innocent smiles were misconstrued by men. To deter unwanted advances, she carried a camera, igniting a passion for photography. After attending an intensive international reporting training,...

Episode #187: Guillaume de Langre, a former adviser to the Myanmar Ministry of Electricity and Energy, paints a bleak picture of the country’s multiple, overlapping, energy crises. He describes how the junta's inadequate governance and years of mismanagement under past military regimes have exacerbated the situation. Today, power cuts are becoming more frequent, causing the spoilage of food and va...

Episode #186: “The term ‘double minority’ simply means a ‘minority within minority,’” Christopher Win explains. “Rakhine is an ethnic minority group in Myanmar, and Maramagyi is an even smaller group than the Rohingya! I'm from that small minority group, and I work as an ethnic rights activist.” The Maramagyi have faced discrimination and marginalization from the larger Rakhine and Rohingya commun...