SAM BECK WRITES – The most recent example of the Myanmar Junta’s state-sponsored terrorism took place at Nan Nein Monastery in the Shan state on March 15, where they invaded and executed over 22 Buddhist monks and resistance fighters sheltering in the monastery. Myanmar’s long history of internal division gains…
QUINN MCGANNON WRITES — Recent years have seen an explosion of protests across Asia, most stemming from a frustration with oppressive governments and lack of freedoms. An increasing number of young people in Asia are participating in their countries’ affairs, and they’re not being subtle about it. While protests generally…
LAMA ALTAHER WRITES – Although the recent military coup in Myanmar saw a democratically elected government overthrown, the events were reminiscent of the Arab Spring protests across Asia and Africa in 2010. The Myanmar military junta has a long history of using excessive force to crack down on protests, which…
LIAM ROGERS WRITES — With the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, the former Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Myanmar-she who had also supported the genocidal actions of the Myanmar armed forces against the Rohingya in 2017-the Myanmar military has usurped…
SARA ALTUWAIJRI WRITES — Myanmar is facing a second wave of COVID-19, new cases are skyrocketing and, with general elections coming November 8, officials are accusing Rohingya of spreading the second wave of COVID. Why the blame? So that those aiming for election or re-election can gain people’s support. As…
EMILY CAPOUYA WRITES – On November 10th, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, expressed “concern” over the plight of the 730,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, urging Myanmar to deal with the “root causes” of the crisis and work towards their safe repatriation to Rakhine state. The meeting of…
HYUNG JUN YOU WRITES – At this very moment, the world is enduring more than one genocide, but surely none is worse than the plight of the Rohingyas. Myanmar is a Buddhist majority country comprised of 135 different ethnicities.While there are few ethnic groups that are not officially recognized by…
SENAY EMMANUEL WRITES—Last weekend, a delegation of Burmese representatives traveled to neighboring Bangladesh to speak with some of the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees situated there. Their goal was to confront this humanitarian crisis and somehow convince these beleaguered refugees to return to Myanmar. This isn’t the first time the…
AASHNA MALPANI WRITES– Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, victims of Myanmar’s ethnic cleansing, are packed into refugee camps just 20 miles from the city of Cox’s Bazar, in Bangladesh. Their everyday life is riddled with little access to education and restricted cellular reception. And they are social pariahs. “The average…
JABER AL SABAH WRITES — Facebook was intended to connect the world and bring people closer to each other. But the current political climate both in the US and abroad is proving to have the opposite effect—the power of connectivity is being used to harness hate and segregation. Facebook has…
This is the second in a series of Asia Media International Podcasts in political and cultural issues. Follow our Soundcloud and social media to stay updated with the latest podcasts. Speaker: Olivia Nightingale Olivia Nightingale is the Program Associate for Civil and Political Rights and Humanitarian Response at American Jewish…
NADIA ALJOJO WRITES – After being accused of breaching Myanmar’s Official Secrets Act, two Reuters reporters, Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were detained by police in December and have been held in custody since. The two reporters had been working on covering the military crackdown on insurgents…
BETH MCLAUGHLIN WRITES – Most people are by now familiar with “Humans of New York” —photojournalist Brandon Stanton’s project of interviewing ordinary, anonymous New Yorkers about whatever is on their minds. Stanton has a wide audience that goes beyond his Facebook page. With two best-selling books, 20 million followers across…
NINA YUSTIARTI WRITES – Since August, more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh for safety. The Rohingya are one of many ethnic minorities in the country of Myanmar. With around one million people identifying as Rohingya Muslims, they represent the largest percentage of Muslims in the country. They…
BETH MCLAUGHLIN WRITES – Oh, Myanmar––until recently, a symbol of hope, but the once-pariah state has fallen again. In 2010, the country had shaken off its military leadership and was charting a path towards democracy. Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her work as…
ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES – The freedom of the press in Myanmar is in a questionable state. Despite talk of a transitioning democracy, it is unclear whether human rights, such as freedom of the press, will receive the reform needed to become fully democratized. Lau Hon Meng and Mok Choy Lin,…
