7 Minutes To ReadAt the University of Toronto, Napas Thein explores how once-divided diaspora communities come together in a discussion around belonging. Photo Credit: Wa Lone
Tags: diaspora, ethnicity, event, photography, reconciliation, Rohingya, Toronto
March 21, 2025
5 Minutes To ReadGreg Constantine shares stories about Rohingya educational achievement in Myanmar, from the photo project Ek Khaale, which documents Rohingya belonging in Myanmar.
Tags: education, ethnicity, event, photography, Rohingya, Toronto
January 20, 2025
9 Minutes To ReadHtet Hlaing Win contends that effective environmental campaigns in Myanmar are not possible until a dramatic change in political arrangement occurs.
Tags: Aung San Suu Kyi, borderlands, China, climate change, democracy, environment, ethnic armed groups (EAOs), fossil fuels, military coup, military junta, Min Aung Hlaing, National League of Democracy (NLD), National Unity Government (NUG), Ne Win, State Administration Council (SAC), sustainability, Three Brotherhood Alliance, U Nu, urban planning, Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC)
January 2, 2025
8 Minutes To ReadSteven (pseudonym) examines the future implications of addressing gender inequalities in Myanmar.
Tags: constitutional politics, constitutional reform, democracy, elections, electoral politics, equality, gender, gender inequality, Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH)
December 18, 2024
16 Minutes To ReadMyo Min outlines the hidden consequences of people’s commitment to minorities within minorities, such as the Rohingya.
Tags: : federal democracy, All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), Arakan Army (AA), Bamar People's Liberation Army (BPLA), Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), democracy, equality, ethnic armed groups (EAOs), ethnic minorities, federalism, human rights, military coup, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), National Unity Government (NUG), nationalism, People’s Representatives Committee for Federalism (PRCF), Rohingya, Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Tatmadaw
October 29, 2024
11 Minutes To ReadEsther J collects firsthand accounts from people directly impacted by the new military conscription law. Edited by Emily Fishbein.
Tags: Bago, military conscription, National Unity Government (NUG), People's Defence Force (PDF), People’s Defense Forces (PDF)
October 21, 2024
9 Minutes To ReadVictoria (pseudonym) details some of the discrimination the post-coup Myanmar diaspora in Thailand face.
Tags: borderlands, citizenship, labour rights, migrant workers, refugees, revolution, Spring Revolution, statelessness, Thai-Burma border
September 30, 2024
11 Minutes To ReadKikuchi Taihei argues that Myanmar’s federalism and national identity roots trace back to Hkun Kyi’s advocacy.
Tags: British Burma, colonialism, ethnic minorities, Hkun Kyi, Panglong Conference, Saopha Federalism, Sawbwa, shan, Shan State
September 16, 2024
8 Minutes To ReadMichael Lin-Chiang Lee argues that Taiwan’s democratic values and diplomacy with Myanmar are met with challenges.
Tags: China, diaspora, myanmar, One-China Principle, Sino-Burma relations, Taiwan, United Nations (UN)
September 11, 2024
4 Minutes To ReadYawng Htang captures the latest struggles facing civilians who fled recent fighting between the Kachin Independence Army and Myanmar military. Captions translated by Hpan Ja Brang; additional text by Emily […]
Tags: displacement, Kachin State, Momauk, People’s Defense Force (PDF), refugees, United Nations (UN)
September 5, 2024
6 Minutes To ReadMd. Salman Rahman and Fatema Tuz Zohra Nowreen argue that religious misinterpretation traps Rohingya women in suffering.
Tags: Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), gender, human rights, Islam, Muslim, polygamy, refugees, Rohingya, United Nations (UN), violence
August 28, 2024
6 Minutes To ReadJoshua Bowes and Md. Salman Rahman argue that violence seems to be inescapable for women Rohingya refugees. Credit: AK Rockefeller The Rohingya refugee crisis is one of the most volatile […]
Tags: buddhism, Cox’s Bazar, ethnic minorities, gender, gender inequality, gender violence, human trafficking, Islam, Rakhine State, refugees, Rohingya, sexual violence, Tatmadaw, United Nations (UN)
July 2, 2024
7 Minutes To ReadMinn Myoh Minn Oo evaluates the political relationship between the Thai government and the Myanmar people.
Tags: ASEAN, conscription, ethnic armed organisations, humanitarian aid, junta, Karen National Union (KNU), Mae Sot, military coup, Myanmar people, refugees, Spring Revolution, State Administration Council (SAC), Thai-Myanmar border, Thailand, visa, youth
June 24, 2024
6 Minutes To ReadSayedul Karim shares insights from leading national & international scholars focusing on Myanmar Studies.
Tags: development, ethnic minorities, ethnicity, federalism, IDRC, Institute of Human Rights and Democratic Governance (IHRDG), Karen State, labour rights, People's Defence Force (PDF), policy, Rohingya, Salween, Spring Revolution, Spring University Myanmar (SUM)
June 18, 2024
8 Minutes To ReadHnin Htet Htet Aung studies the surge in support for refugees by overseas Myanmar youth.
Tags: ASEAN, diaspora, humanitarian aid, IDP, International Non-Government Organizations (INGOs), Japan, Malaysia, Min Aung Hlaing, National League for Democracy (NLD), National Unity Government (NUG), refugees, Singapore, Tanintharyi, Thailand
June 10, 2024
10 Minutes To ReadWin Thiri Lwin dives into the moral dilemmas water professionals face in the Spring Revolution.
Tags: Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), human rights, moral dilemmas, Spring Revolution, water professionals
June 3, 2024
8 Minutes To ReadNaing Min Khant argues that civilians defy military surveillance, and empower resistance through sousveillance in post-coup Myanmar.
Tags: Chin State, China, Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), digital wallets, EAOs, finance, military coup, Min Aung Hlaing, myanmar coup, National Unity Government (NUG), People’s Defense Force (PDF), Rakhine State, surveillance, technology
April 9, 2024
10 Minutes To ReadNaing Min Khant argues that Myanmar’s failure to define and protect indigenous rights hinders social justice and fuels ethnic conflicts.
Tags: bamar, Chin, colonialism, ethnic conflict, ethnicity, Mon, Rakhine, shan, social justice, tainyinthar
March 6, 2024
4 Minutes To ReadMay Ying (pseudonym) explores unique challenges in building climate advocacy in conflict-torn Myanmar.
Tags: Azerbaijan, China, climate change, community, conflict, COP28, democracy, environment, environmental activists, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), forests, Kachin State, Myitsone, Thein Sein, youth activism
February 27, 2024
15 Minutes To ReadIn Part 2 of a 2-part series, Bobby Anderson considers the strengths and weaknesses of Myanmar’s military and its chances of collapse. Read Part 1
Tags: All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), Arakan Army (AA), bamar, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chin National Front (CNF), Chin State, China, ethnic armed organisations, Federal Political Negotiation and Consultation Committee (FPNCC), Guomindang (GMD), India, Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Karen National Union (KNU), Local Defense Forces (LDF), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), National League for Democracy (NLD), National Unity Government (NUG), People's Defence Force (PDF), Rakhine State, Rohingya, Russia, Shan State, Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Three Brotherhood Alliance, United Wa State Army (UWSA)
February 23, 2024
15 Minutes To ReadIn Part 1 of a 2-part series, Bobby Anderson considers the strengths and weaknesses of Myanmar’s military and its chances of collapse.
Tags: Arakan Army (AA), Aung San Suu Kyi, bamar, Border Guard Forces (BGF), buddhism, China, Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), Communist Party of Burma (CPB), conscription, Hluttaw, military coup, Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar Economic Cooperation (MEC), Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL), Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, National Unity Government (NUG), opium, Paletwa, People's Defence Force (PDF), Pyu Saw Htee, Russia, shan, Shan State, Tatmadaw, Three Brotherhood Alliance
February 22, 2024
6 Minutes To ReadShalini Perumal explores Myanmar women artists’ roles in times of political upheaval.
Tags: art, artists, democracy, gender, photography, revolution, women
February 12, 2024
10 Minutes To ReadHpan Ja Brang spoke with four people living in camps near Laiza. Edited by Emily Fishbein.
Tags: COVID-19, IDP, Kachin, military coup, youth
December 28, 2023
10 Minutes To ReadXu Peng analyses Kokang’s tumultuous past and its ongoing impact on Myanmar’s politics.
Tags: casinos, China, colonial burma, Communist Party of Burma (CPB), history, Kokang, Kuomingtang (KMT), myanmar, United Wa State Army (UWSA)
December 27, 2023
7 Minutes To Read Rio Kevin and Dr. Abellia Anggi Wardani examine the relations between education and sustainable democracy in Myanmar.
Tags: academic freedom, coup, democracy, National League for Democracy (NLD), saffron revolution
December 20, 2023
11 Minutes To ReadDavid Scott Mathieson asks, if this is the quality of military propaganda, how could they have stayed in power for so long?
Tags: film, Jinghpaw, Kachin Independence Army (KIA), military, military propaganda
November 30, 2023
4 Minutes To ReadDiya Jiang explores Beijing’s interests and trade-offs in managing Sino-Myanmar relations following the Myanmar military’s February 2021 coup d’état.
Tags: Beijing, China, diplomacy, National Unity Government (NUG), People's Defence Force (PDF), Sino-Myanmar relations
November 27, 2023
18 Minutes To ReadHaymarn Soe Nyunt and Pai Cheimt Khaung delve into the unseen hardships of Myanmar’s garment workers with a focus on Kingsrich Garment Factory.
Tags: COVID-19, labour, labour rights, National League for Democracy (NLD), workers' rights, Yangon
November 22, 2023
7 Minutes To ReadIsabella Aung examines challenges faced by the interim education system post-coup.
Tags: ethnic education, higher education, mental health, Spring University Myanmar (SUM), university
November 13, 2023
6 Minutes To ReadLen (pseudonym) expresses how her struggles, traumatic experiences, and life have changed for the worse in the aftermath of the coup.
Tags: Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), civil war, military coup, Spring Revolution, youth, youth activism
November 1, 2023
7 Minutes To ReadYu Gan Paing (pseudonym) explains the trauma, struggles, and the vicious cycles in the life of a refugee since the 2021 coup.
Tags: Chin State, Mizo, Mizoram, National League for Democracy (NLD)
October 16, 2023
3 Minutes To ReadAung Ko Ko argues that the Spring Revolution provides an opportunity for an ideological marketplace to flourish.
Tags: bamar, Spring Revolution, tainyinthar
August 22, 2023
7 Minutes To ReadDiiksa Thang (pseudonym) and Emily Fishbein look at the rollout of university entrance exams under the National Unity Government.
Tags: Chin State, Chinland Defense Forces, Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), National Unity Government (NUG), university
July 17, 2023
8 Minutes To ReadCielo (pseudonym) argues that targeting Christians and the re-emergence of Pyu Saw Htee triggered the military’s motivation to commit atrocities.
Tags: bamar, buddhism, Chin State, Christianity, ethnic armed organisations, human rights, Islam, Karen National Union (KNU), karenni, Rohingya, Sagaing
May 15, 2023
8 Minutes To ReadNicolas Salem-Gervais, Summer Aung, Amber Spreelung, Ja Seng, Jung Benatar, and Chan* outline the evolving language-in-education landscape following the coup, within and beyond military-controlled territory in Part 2 of a […]
Tags: ethnic languages, ethnicity, federalism, language policy
May 9, 2023
8 Minutes To ReadNicolas Salem-Gervais, Summer Aung, Amber Spreelung, Ja Seng, Jung Benatar, and Chan* outline the evolving language-in-education landscape following the coup, within and beyond military-controlled territory in Part 1 of a […]
Tags: ethnic languages, ethnicity, federalism, language policy
May 8, 2023
7 Minutes To ReadJulian (pseudonym) shows how the junta’s use of arson has incurred extreme devastation.
Tags: ethnic armies, farmers, livelihoods, military, National Unity Government (NUG), Sagaing
May 1, 2023
3 Minutes To Readซาลี ฟัง และ มึดา นาวานาถ หารือเกี่ยวกับโครงการผันน้ำยวมที่ถกเถียงเถียงกัน The English version of this article was originally published on April 3, 2023. Read the post here. A Burmese translation is available here.
Tags: borderlands, development, Salween, Thai-Burma border
April 26, 2023
26 Minutes To ReadA study by Nyan Corridor describes the military coup’s consequences for political parties and their future options.
Tags: elections, military coup, political dialogue
April 4, 2023
10 Minutes To ReadZali Fung and Mueda Nawanat discuss the contested Yuam River Water Diversion Project. A Thai translation is available here.
Tags: borderlands, development, Salween, Thai-Burma border
April 3, 2023
6 Minutes To ReadCourtney T. Wittekind and Hilary Faxon underscore threats posed by a new market for land on Myanmar Facebook.
Tags: agriculture, Facebook, land, social media, Yangon
February 5, 2023
6 Minutes To ReadLian Bawi Thang argues that engagement will not change the corruption and power abuse deeply embedded in the SAC’s bureaucratic and political institutions.
Tags: Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), economy, National League for Democracy (NLD), National Unity Government (NUG), State Administration Council (SAC)
January 17, 2023
7 Minutes To ReadHan Alter (pseudonym) explores how to define civilians in the Spring Revolution.
Tags: civil war, human rights, National Unity Government (NUG), People's Defence Force (PDF), State Administration Council (SAC)
December 5, 2022
8 Minutes To ReadYu Yu Htay discusses food weaponization and how the state of food production in post-coup Myanmar is leading to domestic hunger and undermining the regional food basket.
Tags: civil war, Communist Party of Burma (CPB), ethnic politics, food security, Karen National Union (KNU), military, State Administration Council (SAC)
November 30, 2022
3 Minutes To ReadAung Kaung Myat considers the moral and analytical layers in addressing the military institution as “Tatmadaw” or “sit-tat.”
Tags: featured, military coup, Tatmadaw
October 3, 2022
13 Minutes To ReadAye Lei Tun reveals the institutionalization of patriarchal practices through the NRC application process.
Tags: citizenship, ethnic minorities, feminism, tainyinthar, women
September 12, 2022
9 Minutes To ReadRosalie Metro discusses how Myanmar government textbooks can be used in innovative ways.
Tags: democracy, history, peace
September 5, 2022
6 Minutes To ReadLu Nge Khit describes the events of a youth protest in May 2022, in Yangon.
Tags: featured, journalism, Yangon, youth, youth activism
July 13, 2022
4 Minutes To ReadSu (pseudonym) speaks about the challenges and opportunities for feminists and young women in Myanmar since the coup.
Tags: feminism, Real Stories Not Tales (RSNT)
June 29, 2022
12 Minutes To ReadDavid Brenner reflects on rebel governance in Myanmar and how it challenges Conflict Studies paradigms.
Tags: colonialism, conflict studies, governance, Kachin, Myanmar Studies, nationalism, Pat Jasan
June 27, 2022