Insight Myanmar
Society & Culture
About
Insight Myanmar is a beacon for those seeking to understand the intricate dynamics of Myanmar. With a commitment to uncovering truth and fostering understanding, the podcast brings together activists, artists, leaders, monastics, and authors to share their first-hand experiences and insights. Each episode delves deep into the struggles, hopes, and resilience of the Burmese people, offering listeners a comprehensive, on-the-ground perspective of the nation's quest for democracy and freedom. And yet, Insight Myanmar is not just a platform for political discourse; it's a sanctuary for spiritual exploration. Our discussions intertwine the struggles for democracy with the deep-rooted meditation traditions of Myanmar, offering a holistic understanding of the nation. We delve into the rich spiritual heritage of the country, tracing the origins of global meditation and mindfulness movements to their roots in Burmese culture. Each episode is a journey through the vibrant landscape of Myanmar's quest for freedom, resilience, and spiritual riches. Join us on this enlightening journey as we amplify the voices that matter most in Myanmar's transformative era.
Episodes
- Between Two Histories
Photographer Hitoshi Kameyama shares his experiences documenting memories of WWII in Myanmar and the impact of the 2021 coup, connecting historical conflict with ongoing struggles through his work.
- The Social Contract
In Insight Myanmar Episode 532, lawyer Henning Glaser argues that Myanmar's constitutional issues stem from a lack of power to bind actors and insufficient unity. He suggests a tentative constitution and emphasizes the need for functional…
- Unorthodox Inquiries
U Pandita critiques the authoritarian governance and censorship within Myanmar’s Saṅgha, where rigid hierarchies stifle independent thought and dissent is punished. He contrasts this with his academic freedom in Sri Lanka and warns against…
- Quick on the Draw
Karen illustrator and activist JC discusses her experiences, from growing up in Yangon to her current work in the Netherlands. Her minimalist and emotionally expressive illustrations aim to tell stories of trauma and displacement related t…
- Staying the Course
Daniel Dodd discusses his life journey, including a challenging upbringing and early struggles, and how Vipassana meditation became a transformative practice. This meditation experience now guides his work in community organizing and publi…
- When The Window Closed
Ola Elvestuen, a Norwegian politician, reflects on his lifelong commitment to environmental and societal challenges. He details Norway
- Forced to Vote
Senior researcher Nay Chi describes Myanmar's post-coup election as an exercise in coercion, where pressure like conscription threats and military tactics compelled participation. The process failed to offer representation, with most peopl…
- A Rose by Any Other Name
Thet Swe Win shares his transformation from holding anti-Muslim views shaped by nationalist propaganda to becoming a prominent activist for interfaith harmony in Myanmar. His journey involved witnessing solidarity during the Saffron Revolu…
- Knocking on Malaysia’s Door
Heidy Quah, founder of Refuge for the Refugees, describes her work in Malaysia supporting refugees, particularly those from Myanmar, by focusing on education, healthcare, and livelihood initiatives. She highlights the challenges refugees f…
- The Path in Question
Max Ante shares his experience with Vipassana meditation, detailing how a ten-day retreat led to a life-altering commitment. He later critically re-examined the practice's framework and its influence on his perception and decision-making.
- A Life In Motion
This episode features discussions from the 16th International Burma Studies Conference. Guest H shares his experiences returning to Myanmar, the 2021 coup, his arrest and torture, and his continued activism from abroad. Political scientist…
- The Transparency Paradox
Than Htike Zaw and Pablo Gassilloud explore how institutional distrust, heightened by political conditions and disasters, impacts humanitarian aid in Myanmar. Their research, based on donor surveys and interviews, reveals donors balancing…
- Victims of Success
Erin Hunt, Executive Director of Mines Action Canada, discusses the devastating impact of landmines and other indiscriminate weapons on civilians, highlighting Myanmar's severe casualties. She emphasizes the importance of lived experience…
- The Akha Way
Dr. Micah Morton explains Akha life along the Upper Mekong borderlands, focusing on ancestral law (ghanr) and how migration, states, religions, and markets challenge traditional practices. He highlights the Akha
- Aniccā with Feeling
Friedgard Lottermoser shares insights into U Ba Khin's personalized meditation instruction at the International Meditation Center in Rangoon, highlighting the differences between his flexible approach and S. N. Goenka's standardized system…
- The Leftovers
Episode 518 details the history of KMT irregulars in Burma following the Chinese Civil War, their involvement in the opium trade which fueled the Golden Triangle, and the geopolitical consequences including CIA involvement and regional ins…
- Enter the Dragon
Wai Yan Phyo Naing describes Sino-Myanmar relations as transactional, focusing on China's national interests and Myanmar's need for strategic partnerships. Despite geographic advantages driving projects like pipelines, Myanmar asserts its…
- No State, No Service
Researchers Jenny Hedström and Stella Naw explore the essential role of women's labor in the Kachin struggle. They argue that activities like farming, teaching, and caregiving represent a form of governance vital to sustaining communities…
- From a Mirrorless Cell
Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota shares his experiences documenting the Rohingya in Myanmar, his arrest and imprisonment, and his belief in storytelling
- Tremors
Richmond Heath, a vipassana trainer, explores involuntary movements during meditation, viewing them as natural bodily expressions rather than dysfunction. He shares his personal experience with chronic pain, meditation, and TRE, emphasizin…
- Between War and Peace
This episode features Georgi Engelbrecht discussing the Mindanao peace process and Russia's relationship with Myanmar's junta. He examines how Russia supports the junta, contributing to regional stability perceptions, while China adopts a…
- Left Behind
Hanne Sophie Greve argues Telenor's actions in Myanmar created foreseeable human rights harm, criticizing their handling of legal risks, surveillance equipment, and business exit. The case highlights challenges for legal systems and state…
- Bonus Episode: Shelter From The Storm
In a bonus episode of Insight Myanmar, Mora from Better Burma discusses the ongoing challenges in Myanmar following conflict and the recent earthquake. He explains how monasteries and nunneries are providing essential shelter, food, and ed…
- Coming to Practice
Jarrod Newell
- On the Threshold
Burmese artist Bart Was Not Here explains how his politically charged art, shaped by dictatorship and displacement, uses memory, humor, and imagination to navigate political realities. He argues that art provides a unique space for reflect…
- Reality Bites
Chalida Tajaroensuk advocates for a realistic, ground-level approach to human rights work, emphasizing specific actions and community care over grand theories or optimism. She shares her journey through activism and disillusionment, highli…
- The Justice League
Damian Lilly, a humanitarian specialist, advocates for integrating protection and accountability with aid, drawing from experiences in conflict zones like South Sudan and Gaza. He co-founded the Myanmar Accountability Project to pursue int…
- Terra Incognita
Davina Quinlivan discusses her memoir "Possessions," exploring her Anglo-Burmese heritage and the concept of embodied knowledge. The episode examines how inheritance manifests in memory and the body, contrasting institutional learning with…
- Never Again
Patrick Hoffmann, motivated by his family's experience with Nazi Germany and his interactions with activists in Yangon, is dedicated to supporting Myanmar's democracy movement. He advocates for inclusive narrative building and political lo…
- Conflict Takes Root
Timor-Leste has begun legal action against Myanmar's military, the first such case between ASEAN members. The Chin Human Rights Organization provided evidence of atrocities, advocating for international legal mechanisms due to the lack of…
- Holding the Line
Michael Sladnick argues that the core of Myanmar
- In the Name of the Sāsana
Alicia Turner explains how Burmese Buddhists under British colonialism weren't passive but actively reimagined Buddhist responsibility and identity through the concept of the sāsana. Her work highlights how Buddhists used their own religio…
- Dreaming Forward
Shakil Ahmed and Tümüzo Katiry discuss decolonization, utilizing future studies and imagination as decolonial tools, and the importance of place and identity. They also touch upon food sovereignty and environmental issues, particularly con…
- The Train Wreck Ahead
Investigative journalist Emanuel Stoakes recounts his experiences reporting on Myanmar’s human rights issues, from the Kachin conflict to the Rohingya crisis, highlighting state propaganda and the challenges faced by international organiza…
- A Second Renunciation
Shelina Rose discusses leaving her role as an Acharya in the S.N. Goenka Vipassana tradition, advocating for sincere questioning, growth beyond old structures, and balancing gratitude with discernment.
- The Fire Next Time
Journalist Paul Vrieze analyzes Myanmar's Spring Revolution, detailing the shift from nonviolent protest to armed resistance, its varied patterns, and the complexities of national unity and international recognition amid ethnic resistance…
- An Undisciplined Democracy
Episode #498 discusses the 2025–2026 Myanmar election, arguing participation was a survival tactic under junta rule driven by fear and coercion, not a democratic process. Research indicated patterns of intimidation, administrative manipula…
- Returning to the Source
Oliver Tanner, a PhD candidate focusing on early Buddhist textual studies, shares his journey from intensive meditation retreats to a daily practice centered on the suttas. He emphasizes understanding and responding to suffering through th…
- Let the Circle Be Unbroken
Novelist Jak Bazino discusses his book "Breaking the Cycle," which connects Myanmar's Spring Revolution to a historical struggle for freedom. The novel uses dual timelines, from 1942 and the 2024 revolution, to explore continuity, resistan…
- Maple Leaf Diplomacy
Mark McDowell, a former Canadian ambassador to Myanmar, analyzes the repeated misunderstandings of the country by outsiders, arguing that external narratives often replace complex realities. He reflects on Canadian engagement, the post-Nar…
- A Clockwork Election
Myay Thet explains how Myanmar's recent election is fraudulent in both process and outcome, with the junta using coercion and ambiguous threats to enforce visible participation. Research conducted by Myanography documents daily life under…
- Authorization Pending
Pascal Simon reflects on his 2016-2020 work in Myanmar, focusing on mine action education for civilian protection. He highlights the importance of neutrality and trust in engaging with all parties, including the military, to address the na…
- An Uphill Battle
Malaysian MP Wong Chen believes the Myanmar crisis requires coordinated internal resistance and pragmatic regional engagement, as the military is resilient to external condemnation. He criticizes ASEAN's rotating chair system for lacking s…
- The Weight of Survival
The episode features conversations from the 16th International Burma Studies Conference, discussing disability stemming from political violence with Naw Moo Moo Paw and the challenges of online education in Myanmar with Aye Minn. Scholars…
- Reckoning with the Dhamma
Political theorist Matt Walton explains that Myanmar's political life cannot be understood solely through Western frameworks, as struggles over democracy and nationalism are embedded within a Theravāda Buddhist moral universe.
- Choosing the Red Pill
Neo, inspired by The Matrix, joined the Myanmar resistance after the 2021 coup, leaving behind a simple life in Yangon to fight. His experiences in the jungle and his songs of defiance highlight his commitment to the cause, emphasizing uni…
- Enemy of the State
Chris Gunness details his experiences reporting on Myanmar in the 1980s, including undercover work for the BBC during the 1988 uprising, and his subsequent founding of the Myanmar Accountability Project to pursue legal cases against junta…
- The Right To Belong
Noor Azizah, a Rohingya genocide survivor, details the ongoing violence and historical context of persecution against the Rohingya people in Myanmar. She emphasizes that Rohingya rights must be central to any political settlement and discu…
- The Erasure of Mindfulness
Daniel M. Stuart discusses theologian Leon Edward Wright's overlooked connection with Burmese meditation master U Ba Khin, highlighting how Wright's experiences with meditation, anti-colonial politics, and visionary experiences were interp…
- The Center Holds
Saw Bosco argues that peace requires dignity and material survival, drawing from his experience as a Catholic in Myanmar's dry zone. He critiques identity politics and elite-driven peace processes, emphasizing the need for economic justice…