Episode #273: The 4th International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies (ICBMS), hosted by Chiang Mai University in August 2024, brought together over 800 scholars, activists, and experts to discuss Myanmar's political, social, and economic challenges, including the impact of the 2021 coup. Insight Myanmar Podcast was given exclusive access to cover the event, where we recorded brief interviews with a number of guests and covering a wide range of diverse topics. These interviews are being presented in a special, four-part series, of which this episode is the first. Guests include:

• Aung Zaw, founder and editor of The Irrawaddy. He has dedicated his career to independent journalism since the 1988 uprising, facing significant threats and intimidation from the Burmese regime, while remaining committed to democracy, press freedom, and exposing the truth about Myanmar's situation.
• Dr. Mar Mar Gyi, a Burmese anthropologist and filmmaker. She focuses on gender issues and the overlooked roles of women in Myanmar's history, emphasizing that feminist movements have deep local roots, and that Burmese women historically enjoyed significant rights that have been eroded by colonialism, nationalism, and militarism.
• Katie Julian, an education expert deeply involved in Myanmar's higher education system. She focuses on developing curriculum and training programs in non-state and ethnic-run sectors, emphasizing locally relevant materials and skills-based learning; she remains hopeful post-coup due to the resilience of Burmese educators and the emergence of informal education structures in IDP camps.
• Amy, a law graduate and activist. She has spent three years working on gender-based violence and child abuse cases, collaborating with NGOs to support human rights defenders and is now building networks in Thailand and Myanmar to provide legal aid and raise awareness about human rights issues in post-coup Burma.
• Sitthu, a law student and member of the Civil Disobedience Movement. He focuses on human rights research and believes in using law as a tool to address ethnic divides and expose Myanmar's human rights violations to both regional and global audiences, advocating for inclusive and just legal frameworks in the face of military oppression.

Episode #272: “I didn't want to be in a world where we have to keep watching people struggling for freedom and then getting suppressed and getting their dreams crushed. [In Burma,] it was mostly women and girls who were participating in the protests, even more than men! I prayed at that time… I'm not religious, but I just wished and prayed for some way to help. And from that point on, after that period of those very emotional few weeks, I felt like a changed person.”

Initially a university activist in the US, Michael Sladnick’s focus shifted to Myanmar after the military coup in 2021. Deeply moved by the brutal repression of protests, he committed himself to the cause, learning Burmese and connecting directly with local activists and resistance fighters along the Thai-Burma border.

During a recent trip to Karenni State with the Dutch journalist Thomas van Linge, Michael witnessed an unfolding humanitarian crisis, alongside the resilient spirit of the local population. Karenni, a state close to liberation, still faces ongoing airstrikes and artillery attacks. Civilians live in bombed-out villages, struggling with limited food, no electricity, and inadequate medical supplies. Yet, their determination to fight for democracy remains unwavering.

Michael emphasizes the critical need for international support. He recently launched a campaign, "Final Step: Karenni to Naypyidaw," to raise awareness and funds for ammunition and humanitarian aid. He highlighted the inspiring collaboration among diverse ethnic groups in Karenni, working together against the military.

“I firmly believe that the ‘above-ground revolution’ and public activism is just as important as the PDFs, especially for building international support,” he says in closing. “So we want to use this campaign to build something sustained to support those type of people as well as to support the humanitarian needs of refugees in all other parts of Myanmar. We're hoping that this is just the first step of that.”

Episode #271: During the anti-military protests of 1988, the man known as Monkey was just an observer. A friend asked him, “Are you a man? If you are a man, why do you just sit and look?”

However, over the next 9 years, Monkey had the misfortunate of becoming more personally acquainted with the terror of the Tatmadaw, which regularly brought death and destruction to his community in Karenni state. When he reached his breaking point, he joined a Karenni resistance group, but he found that he was still looking for something more.

His prayers found an answer in 1997, when he came into contact with David Eubank, the American missionary who founded the Free Burma Rangers (FBR). Monkey took advantage of their tutorials in basic medical aid as well as photojournalism. While their mobile medical clinic provided relief, Monkey conducted interviews and filmed footage to document the Tatmadaw's ongoing atrocities.

Monkey eventually became an FBR trainer both in Myanmar and abroad. Although the Christian faith animates much of the work that Monkey and the wider FBR team do, they do not limit their service to Christian communities.

Since the coup, Monkey and the FBR team have more than had their hands full in training the many Burmese youths who have flocked to their camps. Monkey is primarily charged with teaching them photojournalism. “We want the world to know what is happening in Burma,” he explains.

As bad as the current times are, Monkey sees an opportunity for a degree of unity and solidarity that he has never before witnessed in his country. Still, he has seen too much to naively assume that disparate groups banding together could be enough to stand up against the Burmese military’s cruelty and inhumanity that knows no bounds. This is largely why he is so focused on raising awareness through photojournalism, so that the story of what is really happening in Myanmar gets out.

Episode #270: Adelina Kamal, who makes her second appearance on the podcast, guides listeners through an enlightening journey into the complex and often fraught world of humanitarian aid and crisis management. With nearly three decades of experience within the ASEAN system, Adelina brings to the table a wealth of knowledge about the political and operational nuances of delivering humanitarian aid in regions like Myanmar, where the crisis is as political as it is humanitarian.

Her conversation delves into the ethical and operational challenges of working with or around military juntas and the implications for neutrality and independence in humanitarian work. Adelina introduces the concept of ‘humanitarian resistance,’ where local actors, often labeled as non-neutral by international standards, provide critical aid and support within their communities despite the political risks. She argues passionately for a more localized approach to humanitarian aid, emphasizing the importance of supporting these ground-level efforts over top-down international interventions. And she critiques the traditional, West-centric humanitarian system, calling for a more equitable and effective ‘horizontal ecosystem’ that respects and empowers local communities.

“To me, the Western governments’ support to the Myanmar people is more of a token, because after all, aid is a political tool,” she says. “At the end of the day, it's about political will."

Episode #269: Jansen Stovicek reflects on the emotional and practical challenges surrounding his decision to disrobe after 16 years as a monk. Initially, the idea of disrobing felt unimaginable, as his identity had been deeply intertwined with monastic life and strictly following the 90 billion-plus rules of the Vinaya. But after disrobing, Jansen encountered difficulty securing a place to stay as a monk, adding stress and uncertainty to his situation. His decision to disrobe was met with mixed acceptance by his community’ of followers.

Ultimately, Jansen’s story is one of personal transformation and reflection. His candid insights shed light on the complexities of leaving monastic life and the broader implications it has on identity, social standing, and community relationships.

He ends his reflections by expressing deep gratitude for his time in Myanmar. He emphasizes his continued support for the National Unity Government (NUG) and the democratic movement in Myanmar, wishing for the country's swift liberation from the military regime's oppression. “I am absolutely, eternally indebted to, to Myanmar, to Myanmar people, to Myanmar Buddhism, to the great masters of Myanmar. Very, very thankful to them!” Jansen exclaims. “I admit that I believe that the only country in the world where Buddhism is truly thriving, is Myanmar, believe it or not, despite, of course, the political unrest. And I definitely would like to encourage everyone to support the democratic movement, to support the NUG in Myanmar, because [they] support reason and they support freedom, and Buddhism is reason and Buddhism is freedom.”

Episode #268: In a discussion emblematic of the complexities inherent in international diplomacy, Scot Marciel, former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar, elucidates the multifaceted challenges of addressing the crisis there. Marcel’s thinking, informed by his extensive diplomatic service, highlights a pervasive hesitancy among international actors to engage decisively with the Myanmar military, largely deemed an untrustworthy entity, yet also to put their eggs in the NUG/resistance basket.

Marciel highlights the deep-rooted issues stemming from the military's unyielding grip on power and its demonstrated propensity for reneging on agreements, as evidenced by the 2021 coup. The military’s overthrow of a democratically-elected government starkly illuminates their unwillingness to cede control, thus undermining any prospect of meaningful dialogue or compromise.

Marciel also explains what he believes is the ideal role for the international community to play: a supportive yet non-intrusive stance that facilitates dialogue among Myanmar's diverse actors without dictating outcomes, and respecting the country's sovereignty while providing essential resources and expertise.

Marciel's reflections on the Rohingya crisis reveals the diplomatic result of that terrible time; namely, an international mistrust of both the military and civilian government, in the latter case, a sense of being let down. Fast forward to 2024, and today, the international community's response, though well-intentioned, often falls short due to limited understanding and engagement, highlighting the need for a more nuanced and sustained approach to diplomacy and support in Myanmar.

“I do think the solution is for the military to be forced to relinquish political power, and to me, that means for the international community to put maximum pressure on that military, [doing] nothing to confer legitimacy on it,” Marciel says in closing. “At the same time, of course, you also have to figure out what comes next… but to me, the answer is, rather than to be paralyzed by the risks, what can the international community to do now to help the various various elements of the resistance, the Civil Disobedience Movement, civil society, other political actors, and prepare for some kind of transition process?”

We were honored to join our friends at The Bangkok Podcast to discuss the origins of our platform and how we've navigated the challenges of hosting discussions in the post-coup environment. We are sharing an interview that occurred on their feed earlier in the year.

Episode #267: Yèshua Moser-Puangsuwan discusses the profound impact of landmines in Myanmar with an equal mix of empathy and depth. He vividly describes how retreating soldiers have planted landmines indiscriminately in both military and civilian areas, leading to devastating consequences. His meticulous investigations reveal the Myanmar military's systematic and large-scale use of landmines, which he categorizes as war crimes due to their indiscriminate nature. Yet he is unsparing of resistance groups in his exposé as well. His extensive fieldwork and research have shown that landmines often harm civilians long after conflicts have ended.

Yèshua's work with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, involves meticulous documentation and advocacy. He emphasizes that landmines are a suicidal policy for any armed group, as they primarily end up harming their own communities. The challenge of attributing specific landmine incidents to either the military or ethnic groups complicates efforts to address the crisis, but Yèshua remains steadfast in his commitment to transparency and thorough documentation.

A crucial aspect of Yèshua's resilience and clarity in addressing these issues comes from his dedicated vipassana meditation practice. He spends about a month each year in intensive meditation. He says that his practice helps him process the immense suffering he witnesses and experiences, allowing him to maintain a compassionate and balanced perspective.

“The development of compassion by seeing deeply into your own experience, which is the human experience, leads to very deep compassion for the suffering of others. And for any real social change to occur, I think it has to come out of that space of acknowledging our shared human predicament of suffering and [developing] compassion for that,” he says. “If I didn't do the meditation practice, I probably would have burned out as an activist a long time ago! Also, I don't use anger as my motivation. Anger burns up its own supports, and a lot of activists run on anger, and they can only run for so long. Most of the people who were activists when I first became an activist, are no longer activists. They burned out long time ago. Compassion is what keeps me doing my activism.”