Economist Podcasts Generals’ selection: Myanmar’s sham poll
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Dec 29, 2025 
Aaron Connolly, Asia diplomatic editor at The Economist, shares insights on Myanmar's sham election orchestrated by the military junta five years post-coup. He details the transition from protests to armed resistance and discusses how regional factors have undercut rebel momentum. Meanwhile, Richard Cockett and Shashank Joshi dive into an engaging debate on the best war films. They explore themes from 'Saving Private Ryan' to 'Doctor Strangelove,' revealing how these films reflect changing perceptions of war and technology.
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Teza San’s Long Road From Doctor To Protest Icon
- Aaron Connolly met Teza San in Mandalay where he worked to bridge Muslim and Buddhist relations a decade ago.
- Teza San later led the first protest the day after the 2021 coup and became a national icon who recently protested the junta's sham election.
Urban Rebels Joined Ethnic Fighters
- The 2021 massacre of protesters pushed many young Bamar into armed resistance alongside long‑standing ethnic groups in borderlands.
- That alliance briefly threatened the junta but external pressures later weakened the revolutionaries.
External Backing Shifted The Balance
- China shifted from backing some ethnic armed groups to cutting supplies and pressuring truces as instability threatened its investments.
- The U.S. closure of USAID further strained groups by forcing them to reallocate funds from military to humanitarian needs.
