Myanmar Musings

Did you know you can do more than just drink tea in tea shops? You can even do research! In this episode Dinith Adikari discusses why tea shops are fascinating spaces in Yangon including their past, present and future.

What is the state of the tourism industry in Myanmar, 2019? We hear a lot about "zero-dollar tourism" in the media, but is it really such a problem? In this episode we chat about this, about over-tourism, under-tourism and sustainability with the Directors of two major tour operators here in Yangon: Edwin Briels, Managing Director of Khiri Travel and Bertie Alexander Lawson, Managing Director of S...

The Lisu are one of the many cultural groups making up the nation-state we call Myanmar. But information on this group - over a million-people strong - is not widely known in the English language. Michele Zack has written a monograph on the Lisu titled "The Lisu: Far From the Ruler" and discusses Lisu politics and culture in this episode.

If you "own" a home in Yangon, you may not have the full rights to your property that you believe you have. In this episode Izzy Rhoads, a recent PhD graduate at King's College, London, discusses the colonial legacies and new developments in Yangon's property sector.

In this episode Dr Thomas Patton, Assistant Professor at the Department of Asian and International Studies, City University of Hong Kong provides us with an overview of the Burmese weizza, otherwise known as wizards with superpowers. He recently published a book titled The Buddha's Wizards: Magic, Protection, and Healing in Burmese Buddhism.

There are now several groups within Myanmar pushing for women's rights - but this was not always the case. Dr Elisabeth Olivius, Senior Lecturer in Peace & Conflict Studies at Umea University explains her research on diaspora gender activists and issues relating to their return to Myanmar.

How did the Japanese Empire become so strong as to drive the British Empire from Burma in World War II? Dr Ryan Hartley, Associate Professor at Tokyo's Tohoku University, explains the sequence of events leading to this momentous change. In doing so he considers that Burma was a "global blindspot" for the complacent British Empire. Ryan's articles on Japan: 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻'𝘀 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁...

What challenges are Myanmar's journalists facing for the year ahead in 2019 and how has the past year fared for press freedom? Two journalists from Frontier Myanmar, Tom Kean and Ben Dunant, make the case for cautious optimism amid conspicuous ongoing crackdowns and the recent jailing of practitioners Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone.

Dr Carol Ann Boshier, Research Associate at SOAS at the University of London and author of the book Mapping Cultural Nationalism: The Scholars of the Burma Research Society, 1910–1935, discusses the work of the Burma Research Society in the early twentieth century and how hegemonic Bama ideas were prioritised in its output.

Dr Yi Li, Associate Lecturer at Aberystwyth University, discusses her book Chinese in Colonial Burma: A Migrant Community in a Multiethnic State. How did Burma fit into the worldviews of settler Chinese during the British colonial period, especially in the context of the much larger Nanyang migration waves occurring at the time? How did Chinese migrants choose to come to Yangon over other British...

What is cultural evolution and what can it tell us about religion in Myanmar? Dr Mark Stanford, a postdoctoral researcher in cognitive anthropology at the University of Oxford, discusses his ongoing research into the cognitive and cultural foundations of religion and morality in Myanmar.

Who are the Sino-Burmese of Yangon and how do they live in the city? Dr Jayde Lin Roberts, a US Fulbright Scholar and author of the book "Mapping Chinese Rangoon", discusses this vibrant community and how they continue to make their own place in the wider metropolis.

Kay Mastenbroek, a veteran documentary filmmaker, reflects on using video media stories and testimonials to foster national reconciliation between perpetrators of the military regime and those who have suffered. Kay is part of the 1988-2010 History Project which aims to create a series of films dealing with these issues. You can watch two episodes of the series here: https://youtu.be/1AqtyehPN4o h...

What are UN Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights and why have they had such a problematic time of it in Myanmar? In this episode David Mathieson discusses the human rights situation in Burma and outlines the history of rapporteurs to the country, from 1992 to the present.

What is the difference between traditional and exotic vegetables in Myanmar and why are traditional vegetables important? Thaw Ni Ni Zaw, Senior Research Associate at the University of New England, discusses her Horticulture Master's thesis research undertaken in villages outside Pyinmana in central Myanmar.

How and why have the last twelve months been so challenging for journalism in Myanmar? Is the country backsliding dangerously? Tom Kean and Sean Gleeson of Frontier Myanmar dissect trends and discuss the situation for press freedom in 2018.

What does "heritage" mean in downtown Yangon in 2018 and what are the forces at play in "developing" or "preserving" the city? David Ney discusses his Masters thesis research, which involved in-depth interviews with residents of the city's old buildings, in the latest episode of Myanmar Musings.

Who grows tomatoes in Myanmar, what is their nature as a commodity and how is aquaculture and land connected to ethnicity? Anthea Snowsill, PhD Candidate in Anthropology at the Australian National University, asks these questions and more as she sets off for 18 months of fieldwork at Inle Lake.

How is the incumbent government managing the symbolic recognition of Myanmar's non-Bama inhabitants? Cecile Medail, PhD Candidate at the University of New South Wales, discusses her thesis and the case study of Bridgegate: the naming of a bridge linking Mawlamyine and Chaungzon townships after Myanmar's independence hero General Aung San, which took place against mass Mon popular opinion and fierc...

What kind of power relations govern community in Bama Buddhist villages? Stephen Huard, a PhD Candidate in Anthropology at the University of East Anglia, discusses how he sees "headmen" and "great men" gaining and maintaining their privileged positions, with insight derived from long ethnographic fieldwork near Monywa.

Who was General Ne Win? Dr Robert Taylor, a long-time political scientist and historian of Myanmar who has held positions at numerous universities, discusses the recent Burmese translation of his 2015 book, "Ne Win: a Political Biography", and provides his opinion on the man who oversaw Myanmar's epic economic decline.

What are the pitfalls when learning Burmese from scratch, especially as a native English speaker? Nance Cunningham, a Canadian Public Health Specialist who has lived in Myanmar for over a decade, gives advice to English speakers for attaining functional Burmese and working with interpreters. Nance has long taught and facilitated language courses and has also authored/published several Burmese dict...

An exploration of the history and construction of the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway including a guide to driving on the most dangerous road in Myanmar. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the interviewees/guests and do not necessarily accord with those of the host or the Myanmar Research Centre.

How is "refugee revitalisation" affecting cities and why is the dominant discourse problematic? Who profits and how from the gendered labour of the Rohingya? In this thorough conversation, Shae Frydenlund, PhD candidate in Geography at the University of Colorado – Boulder, discusses indigeneity, labour and translocal connections between the Rohingya in Myanmar and their counterparts in Colorado. I...

What is the current state and what is at stake at Inle Lake, Myanmar's pre-eminent tourist attraction and unique cultural and environmental treasure? Today we speak with Martin Michalon, PhD Candidate in Geography at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (L'École des hautes études en sciences sociales), about flows, issues and power relations at...