Insight Myanmar

Episode #334: James Rodehaver, head of the UN Human Rights Office on Myanmar, describes the aftermath of the country’s recent earthquake as a crisis layered upon crises. With communities already deva…

Episode #333: “The challenging times that we are facing reveal more than what we should do—they reveal who we should be.”

So says Jeshua Soh, a Singaporean entrepreneur who has built a life in Myanmar…

Episode #332: “We should do something to change, or we should have [an] alternative way to do something,” says Lily, a Myanmar-based artist and documentary filmmaker who has turned from observer to h…

Episode #331: “My friend told me it is like the crumbling of the world, because everywhere, everywhere is destruction.”

Burmese Buddhist nun Sayalay (who has chosen not to give her full Pāḷi name for …

Episode #330: “When President Bush called that morning and said, ‘Pull back [away from Myanmar],’ I just couldn't compose myself. I broke down in front of all the Marines, and so I had to run into th…

Episode #329: “How could this happen now?! I mean, are we part of the problem allowing Burma to slip to that ‘ninth layer of hell?’”

These anguished words from longtime USAID official Chris Milligan r…

Episode #328: In the aftermath of Myanmar’s devastating earthquake, Htuu Lou Rae paints a grim picture of systemic neglect and discrimination faced by the country’s Muslim community. The disaster str…

Episode #327:  In the wake of Myanmar’s devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake, Meredith Bunn, founder of Skills for Humanity (SFH), describes a catastrophic humanitarian crisis compounded by years of …

Episode #326: “Every country could face disaster, but every country also has plans to respond to those kind of like devastating events. But our country is not like others! We don't have the manpower,…

Episode #325: “It's going to take days, if not weeks, to really get a full picture on how devastating this initial earthquake was, let alone these aftershocks that were expected.”

A powerful 7.7 magni…

Episode #324: In a deeply moving interview, Thiri discusses the devastating aftermath of the recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake, set against the backdrop of ongoing political turmoil. With communication…

Episode #323: “Quite frankly, and I might catch flak for this, but I'll say it: there is a special place in hell for those who seek to exploit or weaponize this aid, or block this aid for political p…

Episode #322: Hector and Dr. Paing’s story is a testament to determination in the face of overwhelming challenges. Following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, they left their medical careers to prov…

Episode #321: Growing up in Indonesia, Evy Zulyani found her passion for social justice early on, using her skills as a high school journalist to expose corruption. This experience gave her a first t…

Episode #320: Don Tajaroensuk's story is one deeply influenced by the experiences of refugees and the human rights work led by his mother. As a child growing up in Thailand, Don’s home became a tempo…

Episode #319: Nyan Linn Htet, founder and managing editor of Mekong News, joins the podcast to discuss the complex dynamics that shape the media landscape, as well as the worsening conflict in easter…

For this Bonus Episode, we share a talk presented at Nowhere Books in Chiang Mai, which was hosted alongside Yucca, the Research Director at Exile Hub.

We are including the following description which…

Episode #318: Lynne Bousfield grew up in Australia, and led a fairly conventional life. But in 1975, when she was a student at the university, she received a postcard from her brother in Thailand. Th…

Episode #317: Derek Mitchell’s engagement with Myanmar began unexpectedly in the 1990s when he attended a human rights event featuring Aung San Suu Kyi. Years later, he became the first U.S. Special …

Episode #316: “Hunger and undernutrition in Myanmar is a political failure, and it’s a conscious political failure that's devastating,” says Thin Lei Win, a journalist dedicated to exposing Myanmar’s…