Insight Myanmar

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, and foster communication between the NUG and French organizations.She expresses gratitude for the support provided by the global Burmese diaspora while recognizing the sacrifices made by those in the resistance movement who are on the ground. Nan Su Mon Aung highlights the ongoing struggles faced by people in Myanmar, such as arrests and ongoing human rights violations. Having grown up under previous dictatorships, her aspiration was to provide freer and more open education to Burmese youth. She aimed to encourage critical thinking and create a learning experience similar to that of international universities. However, her plans were disrupted by the coup.Nan Su Mon Aung also discusses her mixed, Karen/Pa’O background and the ethnic divisions still present in Myanmar. She praises the younger generation for their acceptance of diversity and their awareness of human rights and equality, and chalks it up to their easy access to information, which sets them apart from previous generations. She also emphasizes the global nature of the conflict in Myanmar, urging outside observers to recognize the involvement of Russia and China and the threat it poses to neighboring countries and the international community. Nan Su Mon Aung believes in the importance of eradicating dictatorship worldwide and encourages support for the ongoing revolution.“As long as we don't lose hope in our revolution, we are already winning. And we should be believing in it, because our revolution should prevail

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, she ventured to Meiktila, a town marred by religious tensions. In contrast to the media’s usual focus on the negative, she wanted to find positive stories to cover, and after further media training, she returned to Meiktila to do just that.Employed by The Myanmar Times, disillusionment set in, not only with the media’s focus on the negative angle of stories, but also gender bias in the newsroom. So she began to explore the field of documentary photography.Min Ma Naing ended up spending extended time living in Bangladesh, where she very much felt like an outsider. So when she ended up serendipitously meeting some Somali exiles there, she realized they both shared the experience of being outsiders. This led to a project she called “Jigsaw,” which shared many diverse, individual stories of displacement.Her portfolio then expanded to encompass diverse topics, including nunnery life and human trafficking, as well as more personal stories, such as one project exploring a failed relationship. But the military coup in February, 2021, dramatically shifted her focus. Through film photography, she captured the diverse perspectives of those opposing the coup. Her stories explored the individual experiences of ordinary people because it was, after all, a people’s revolution.The coup upended her life, and after surviving some close calls as a protester, she realized that the military would be coming for her sooner or later. She finally fled the country, with her family’s blessing, although her sister remains in prison to this day.Now in living in safety, her art has become a double-edged sword, reminding her of her privilege in being in a place of safety and escaping arrest. Seeking healing, she began to chronicle her emotions in visual diaries on the advice of a therapist, which later transformed into poignant handmade books that help her bridge the emotional chasm caused by her exile and love of her country.Min Ma Naing continues today to give a voice to her country’s vulnerable population who are struggling to be heard. Yet, she notes, “I don't like the term like a voiceless. We were not able to hear it, but they have their voice, and we [just] fail to hear it.”

The podcast explores Myanmar's energy crisis under the military regime and the dire consequences it has on daily life and essential services. It discusses the challenges of transitioning to alternative energy sources like solar and wind, given the lack of investment and trust. The chapter also highlights the economic impact of the crisis and the potential for regional unity and stability.

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 communities, as well as severe restrictions placed on them from the Burmese state. Despite these challenges, Christopher has been involved in activism, documenting human rights violations and collaborating with organizations such as the UN Human Rights Office.He views the issues faced by the Maramagyi as part of an "ethnically patriarchal system," where dominant ethnic groups oppress smaller ones. Christopher believes that smaller ethnic groups should unite to amplify their voices and push for their rights through a new federal charter, rather than narrowly seeking freedoms for their own groups alone.The military coup in Myanmar has brought greater awareness to the ethnic struggles that were previously ignored or misunderstood by the majority Bamar population. Christopher sees a positive shift in the Bamar perspective, as they now recognize the importance of federalism and respect for ethnic diversity.Christopher was politically active after the coup, which put him in the crosshairs of the dreaded Special Branch. So he had to make his escape, and eventually found his way to Washington, DC. Here, he joined the General Strike Committee of Nationalities, a group working towards a unified resistance against dictatorship and advocating for the rights of Myanmar's diverse ethnic groups.“We’re making especially Bamar people understand that Myanmar is extremely diverse country and our rights have long been violated. We're experiencing all these atrocious acts every day, but since people of Myanmar are determined, and they are on the right path, I am hopeful that we will win eventually, because we never had this sort of momentum in the past!”

Episode #185: Alan Clements returns to the podcast, this time to talk about his recent book, Burma’s Voices of Freedom in Conversation with Alan Clements: An Ongoing Struggle for Democracy, a four-volume opus consisting of his interviews with “dozens of the country’s most respected and well-known politicians, pro-democracy activists, artists and religious leaders from Burma’s democracy movements” since the 1988 uprising.  Clements first addresses concerns about Aung Sang Suu Kyi, devoting the book’s first volume to her. He sets it up as one long interview, writing simple questions that she “answers” with selected verbatim quotes. Clements claims that her actual words disprove many of the narratives that have arisen about her since the Rohingya crisis. He insists that her actual words demonstrate that she in fact was not an apologist for the military’s genocidal actions against the Rohingya. The next part of the book is an interview Clements conducted with Fergus Harlow, who he believes to be one of the leading experts in fascism, totalitarianism indoctrination and related subjects. The third part of the book is a letter Clements wrote to General Min Aung Hlaing, requesting permission to come to Nay Pyi Daw to interview him. His outreach is based on the themes of shame and redemption in the Angulimala Sutta and the life of King Ashoka. The fourth section of the book is what Clements calls a “brilliant” letter written by a very prominent (as yet unnamed) Tibetan Buddhist teacher, addressed to Aung Sang Suu Kyi, that explains how the world got the Rohingya crisis wrong. The final part of the book summarizes important events of the past few years in Myanmar. Finally, the conversation turns to Clements’ defense of the use of violence in self-defense in the appropriate circumstances, which applies to those now in the resistance movement in Burma. While he still believes in an emphasis on reconciliation, he also thinks that pragmatically, people should have the right to choose how to defend themselves. 

Episode #184: One of six siblings, Tu Lor Eh Paw grew up in a bamboo hut in a tiny village in Karen state. Her mother was a local Karen Christian missionary, and Tu Lor grew up celebrating Christian holidays and basing her ethics and values on Christian teachings.When Tu Lor was just a child, her mother unfortunately passed away, and her father made the difficult decision to move most of the family to a refugee camp. He felt he just couldn’t support the entire family in the village anymore, and there was a constant fear of the military.After two years in a Thai refugee camp, the family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Arriving in the thick of winter, her first thought was, “Hey, what’s all this white stuff?!” They did not have the right clothing for that climate, knew few people there, and couldn’t speak any English. Her siblings ended up going to different schools.Fortunately, Minneapolis boasts a sizeable Karen community, which Tu Lor quickly integrated into. Tu Lor has since made the most of her new life in the United States, but she can’t help but feel a sense of guilt when thinking of her remaining family back home. She is constantly thinking of what she can do in the United States that will help those back home, which is a challenge with the conflict continuing to rage.While Tu Lor is hopeful about the democracy movement in Myanmar, she is tired by the ongoing stress and trauma, tired of the international community barely paying attention or providing support, and tired of hearing about yet more airstrikes around her home village. “But I am hopeful that we're finally going to get the freedom that we want.”

Episode #183: Sebastian Copija began his journey amid the mesmerizing mountains and bountiful nature of his southern Poland home. Through the years, he developed a strong interest in American and British music, especially heavy metal, yet there was also always the deep yearning for living a life of simplicity.Fueled by an insatiable thirst for understanding consciousness, Sebastian delved into an array of wisdom, exploring Zen, Thich Nhat Hanh's writings, and NLP.  And his encounter with an old pianist revealed the power of pure, open-hearted expression. However, Sebastian realized that the old musician’s joy was just tied to playing music, and Sebastian was looking for something more profound and lasting.Sebastian started working at IBM, but left after a year to teach English in Thailand. Immersed in Thai culture, he found himself drawn to monastic life; he took robes, and was given the name Pabhassaro Bhikkhu. He embraced meditation and immersed himself in Buddhist traditions, with one foot in the Thai Forest Tradition and the other in the structured meditation of the Mahasi tradition.“If that intention is very clear, if we know that we are practicing the path of renunciation… then those are tools to support, and to bring nutriment to the heart. That has been the most important shift in my way to see the practice, [not] trying to see which is better, which is worse, but how to really see oneself as a monastic, a son of the Buddha, and to see one's teacher as the Buddha….”Pabhassaro Bhikkhu has since disrobed, and is Sebastian again, living back in his native country. His quest for inner freedom and unconditioned joy remains steadfast, illuminating the path for all who seek true fulfillment.

Episode #182: “If you're a millionaire, or a billionaire, you want the best,” says Timo Schober, a German-based journalist who works at Papertrail Media, “and the best is natural grown teak [from Myanmar]...And that's what is driving the demand.”Schober joins the conversation along with Shirsho Dasgupta, an investigative reporter for the Miami Herald. They talk about the decimation of Burma’s once vast forest lands which started during colonial times, and today is just 40% of what it once was.After the military coup in 2021, the US imposed sanctions on Myanmar Timber Enterprises (MTE), a military-linked corporation controlling the teak trade. Following a leak from Myanmar’s tax department, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) collaborated with 39 media outlets to investigate teak exports and potential sanctions evasion, and their work is the subject of this episode.The international demand for high-quality teak remains strong, particularly among the ultra-rich. At least $400 million worth of teak has been exported since the coup, mainly to European and American markets.Traders argue that they don't buy directly from MTE but through private companies, and therefore their teak trade is legal. This creates complexities for customs officers in enforcing sanctions. Additionally, others believe their actions are legal as they bought teak before the sanctions, though officials state that the date of purchase does not exempt them.At the end of the day, Dasgupta reminds listeners that it comes back to finding a way to speak directly to the consumer about this murky business, as a way to discourage any involvement in teak. “A lot of luxury products that we covered, they do lead to conflict and the destruction of the environment, and we should keep in mind that even if we're not buying teak, we might be complicit in in other ways when we buy

Episode #181: “I was walking into a country that was in the middle of significant change,” states Scot Marciel, the US Ambassador to Myanmar from 2016 to 2020.One of the first challenges Marciel faced was the role of sanctions. While initially imposed to pressure the regime, he found they had limited effectiveness, and argues that the policy, long driven by a justifiable anger towards the junta’s brutality, ultimately hindered analytical thinking about more helpful approaches. “You can’t wait until it’s Norway or Switzerland to act, you’ve got to come in and try to do what you can to support and encourage more change! And so I think it was the right move [to remove all sanctions]… if you want to have influence at all, you got to be there.”The Rohingya crisis was the most challenging issue that Marciel faced in his entire diplomatic career, as the military perpetrated violence so extreme it was later determined to be a genocide. Despite international pressure, the Myanmar government denied the atrocities, and it was difficult to get access to even basic facts. “Thant Myint U wrote at some point that you can't fix Rakhine if you don't fix Myanmar,” he recalls. “I took that to heart, and so that's what we tried to do. But it was a struggle. It was a lot of anguish, and not everybody agreed, and there weren't any great options.”Regarding the current situation in Myanmar, Marciel believes engagement with the military junta is unproductive. Instead, he suggests supporting local governance, public services, and the resistance elements opposing the junta. He is cautious about providing lethal weapons to resistance groups due to potential logistical challenges and the risk of escalating conflict with China's involvement.“First and foremost, I think 80 to 90% of whatever happens is going to be decided within the country by people of Myanmar, and that's just a reality,” he says in closing, adding that there are also ways the international community can help.

The host and founder of Insight Myanmar was interviewed by the podcast, "Uncensored: Women of the World."