What's Happening in Myanmar

With Tony Neil, PhD candidate in the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science and visiting fellow at the Australian National University, and Saw Day Hsi, a Karen researcher in Kawthoolei. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, floods affect the north and southwest, the Shangri La dialogue generates more politicospeak, and the Karen resistan...

With Dr. Monalisa Adhikari, senior lecturer in international politics at the University of Stirling. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, mass Rohingya drownings at sea, KNLA victories, TNLA defeats, and we discuss the negativity surrounding the recent ASEAN summit in Malaysia and its ineffectual statement on Myanmar. Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Timecodes— 01m07s :: News roundup 06...

With Angshuman Choudhury, doctoral candidate at the National University of Singapore and King's College London. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, thousands of workers successfully strike for better factory conditions, and we discuss the murky killing of 10 Myanmar rebels by India's Assam Rifles. Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Timecodes— 01m02s :: Successful strike in Hlaingtharya W...

With Richard Horsey, senior Myanmar adviser at the International Crisis Group. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the military kills dozens of civilians in multiple major air strikes across the country, coup leader Min Aung Hlaing visits Russia again, and we discuss Myanmar's relationship with that country. Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Timecodes— 00m55s :: Air strikes kill childre...

With Jared Bissinger, a visiting fellow at the Myanmar Studies Program at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore and r esearch lead at Catalyst Economics. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, eyes are still on northern Shan State as the military pressures the TNLA after retaking Lashio, and we discuss how armed groups in Myanmar run their economies. Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me...

With Htet Aung, a journalist with Frontier Myanmar. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the military floats moving its damaged ministries back to Yangon while killing hundreds of people in the month since the March 28 earthquake, and we discuss the challenges of reporting on the quake and its devastating aftermath in Mandalay and Sagaing. Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Join the Front...

With Danseng Lawn, director of the Kachinland Research Centre, and independent journalist Lorcan Lovett. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the military reoccupies Lashio with help from the MNDAA and China, while still fighting the TNLA nearby, and we discuss the military defeats this month at Falam and Indaw. Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Timecodes— 01m21s :: Lashio back in the fo...

With Nay Lin, a fundraiser and coordinator of earthquake relief efforts. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the military is routed from Falam and Indaw, but looks set to walk into Lashio, and we discuss the challenges meeting humanitarian needs after the earthquake. Note: There will be no episode next week, April 18, due to the Thingyan holiday. Email the show at  whimyanmar@proton.me Timec...

With Vicky Bowman, former U.K. ambassador to Myanmar, and director of the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the devastating earthquake of a century, and we discuss the new private security services law and Chinese boots on the ground. Donate for the quake here Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Timecodes— 1m27s :: Earthquake 19m36s :: With Vicky...

With Ye Htet, a scholar and trainer in nonviolent resistance at the Freedom Fighter Myanmar organisation. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the Arakan Army fights on and looks set to forcibly recruit, Aung Zeya pulls back, and we discuss transitional justice and nonviolent resistance to military rule. Fill out the listener survey Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Timecodes— 1m15s :: N...

With Daw Khin Soe Win, previously chief of the Voice of America Burmese service, and Salai Dokhar, founder of India for Myanmar. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the leader of ARSA is arrested, the Arakan Army continues its military victories, we talk about the United States gutting the Voice of America, and also the new political umbrella organisation of Chin resistance groups. Fill out...

With Andrew Nachemson, former managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, and a freelance journalist. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the military signs investment deals and signals more to come, as fresh sanctions and expropriations target the regime and its cronies. Andy and I speak about the unique political and conflict context in Mon State, through the lens of the New Mon State Party and i...

With Dr. Evan A. Laksmana, Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Southeast Asian Security and Defence, and Editor of the Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment, at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing visits Russia with great fanfare, while resistance forces cohere—and attack each other. We discuss with Evan the prospects f...

With Ko Kyaw Naing, an employee since 2012 of a civil society organization in Rakhine State, and also another unnamed guest, a Rohingya youth living in Sittwe. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the military stocks drones in Karen State, more chemical weapons accusations, some scam workers go free, and we speak about the impending attack on the Rakhine State capital, Sittwe.  Email the show...

With Sean Turnell, Senior Fellow at the Lowy Institute. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the military ships nearly 1,000 Rohingya from Yangon to wartorn Sittwe, Chinese are repatriated from border scam compounds, and we speak about the military's access to foreign exchange and other finance matters in the wake of the new report,  The Military, Money, and Myanmar: Breaking the Nexus .    ...

With Sue-Lin Wong, Southeast Asia correspondent for The Economist . This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, ASEAN continues talking consensus, Sittwe fighting begins in earnest, and we speak about the scam industry in the region, as hundreds of trafficked victims go free from Myawaddy.   Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Timecodes— 0m58s :: Weekly news digest 8m33s :: With Sue-Lin Wong, the...

With Lorcan Lovett, independent journalist and Substack writer, with bylines in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, the Sunday Times and more. This week on  What's Happening in Myanmar, conscripts are barred from monasteries, fuel dries up at key border towns, and we discuss the final fight in the Chin National Defense Force push for Falam, in Chin State.   Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Timecodes—...

With Erin Murphy, author of the book Burmese Haze and Senior Fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, and Minnie, a Myanmar INGO practitioner actively engaged in various initiatives related to gender equality, social inclusion, democracy and human rights. Through USAID funding, her work has focused on projects that aim to create a more transparent government, civic inclusion,...

With Vox, a Digital Security Trainer from the Myanmar Internet Project (MIP) and Spring Revolution Security (SRS). This week on  What's Happening in Myanmar, the MNDAA signs a ceasefire, nearly everyone talks scam centres, the Arakan Army pushes further towards the beach resort town of Chaungtha, and we discuss the new Cybersecurity Law enacted on January 1.  Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me...

With Hka San Lwi, Editor-in-Chief of Kachin Waves.   This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, a deadly landslide hits Hpakant, the National Unity Government moots setting up shop in Sagaing, the State Administration Council bans LGBT publications, and we discuss the ongoing battle for Bhamo and the importance of that city in northern Myanmar. Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Timecodes— 1m33...

With Andrew Nachemson, former Managing Editor of Frontier Myanmar, and freelance journalist. This week on What's Happening in Myanmar, the military regime pardons thousands of prisoners, Arakan Army fighting expands into Ayeyarwady Region, a Chinese celebrity is trafficked and rescued in Myawaddy, and we discuss the revolution in Karen State, including the fate of the Aung Zaya column, Border Guar...

With Laetitia van den Assum, former Dutch ambassador to Myanmar and member of the 2016-2017 Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. This fortnight on What's Happening in Myanmar, the military loses more towns in Rakhine and Chin states, internet and motion picture laws are tightened by the State Administration Council, and we discuss Bangladesh's hopes for a conference on the Rohingya crisis and Rak...

With Ramona Drosner, Swiss journalist who completed a fellowship at Frontier, and Su Mon, Senior Analyst for the Asia-Pacific at the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. This week on  What's Happening in Myanmar, the Western Regional Military Command has fallen to the Arakan Army, mental health and addiction are being managed by communities on the Thailand border, and we do a review of...

With Zaw Win, Human Rights Specialist at Fortify Rights, and Hafsar Tameesuddin, Rohingya Activist and Co-Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network. This week on  What's Happening in Myanmar, Maungdaw falls under Arakan Army control and we discuss what happens to the increasing number of Rohingya people who take desperate and dangerous boat journeys south from Myanmar and Bangla...

With R. Lakher, independent Chin analyst. This week on  What's Happening in Myanmar, the MNDAA makes a (genuine?) sue for peace, and we discuss armed resistance politics in Chin and Rakhine states. Email the show at whimyanmar@proton.me Timecodes: 1m07s :: Weekly news digest 4m42s :: The lack of support for refugees in India 21m28s :: Chin and Rakhine state resistance dynamics 36m28s :: Close Our...