In this special edition of Myanmar in a Podshell, we talk to one of the best experts on ethnic minorities in the country: Martin Smith. Together with Martin, we analyse the current situation in Myanmar and the central and destructive role played by the junta, but also what historical and contemporary challenges this poses for different ethnic minorities.
Sep 29, 2023
42 min
In Myanmar, the resistance against the military has declared a Spring Revolution. This revolution aims for nothing less than the reinvention of the country. But the Spring Revolution is not the first revolution; it is one in a long line of revolutions - successful and failed - that Myanmar has seen. Episode 17 of Myanmar in a Podshell discusses the current revolution in contrast to previous revolutions.
Aug 16, 2023
56 min
So far, there has been no successful diplomatic initiative since the coup in Myanmar 2021. The international community is struggling to formulate a common position and seriously address the crisis. ASEAN, too, has failed with its five-point consensus. Myanmar in a Podshell discusses with the diplomats Charles Petrie and Scot Marciel the possibilities and limits of diplomacy in Myanmar.
May 10, 2023
51 min
Discussions are again being held on the repatriation of the Rohingya. History makes it clear that the vicious circle of displacement and repatriation could only be broken if more fundamental questions of citizenship and recognition were discussed. In this episode of Myanmar in a Podshell, we seek to discuss the situation of the Rohingya with a particular focus on the perspective from Bangladesh.
Mar 31, 2023
58 min
Civil war has been raging in Myanmar for almost two years now. The well-equipped military uses all means to break the resistance, but the resistance is unbroken. In this episode of "Myanmar in a Podshell", we talk about the conflict from a military perspective. What strategy is promising, what tactics should be used? And how will the conflict change in 2023?
Feb 1, 2023
53 min
In view of the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar, environmental issues and the climate crisis have been pushed to the margins of attention. Myanmar however is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries facing cyclones, draughts just to name a few. Therefore, environment issues will have a massive impact on the country, its people and also its politics in the coming years.
Nov 19, 2022
46 min
History seems to be repeating itself in Myanmar. The 1988 uprising and subsequent military takeover has many parallels to the nationwide uprising and coup of 2021. Of course, parallels do not mean that there are also significant differences - the consequences of digitalization are the most obvious. Myanmar in a Podshell speaks with two historians to understand what is similar and what is different, and to answer the central question: Is it possible to learn from history?
Sep 23, 2022
1 hr
The people of Myanmar are demanding justice. But there are different understandings of what justice is. The military government sees itself as the guarantor of law and order, but the resistance, the National Unity Government and the various ethnic groups see it as nothing but brutal despotism. They want to create a new law, a new rule of law, as part of their revolution. In a conversation with two researchers, we shed light on all these aspects of law and justice.
Aug 19, 2022
55 min
Myanmar has a long history of violence. There has been no period of nationwide peace since the end of the colonial era in 1948. With the coup d'état, the military has opened a new chapter in the conflict. We discuss what chances there are for genuine peace and what lessons should be learned from the failed peace attempts of the past.
Jun 25, 2022
58 min
Since the coup, Myanmar's economy is under immense pressure. People lost their income, poverty is on the rise, and the future prospects are bleak. Both, the military and the resistance are trying to cut off the enemy's sources of income. Overall, the economic damage is so huge that it can never be compensated for by humanitarian aid alone. Which leads to the difficult question: Is it possible to restart the economy without harming the people?
May 29, 2022
59 min
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