Top Ten Recent Podcast Episodes Featuring Personal Stories
Many of our podcast episodes provide longform, in-depth personal stories where our featured guest opens up about their life. Through this dialog, we’re able to learn not only about our guest’s own life, but also something more about Myanmar itself. Following are the most listened-to episodes we’ve featured that explore the personal stories.
10. The Revolution's Roving Eye: Photojournalist Moe's extensive career, from covering the jade mines to the Rohingya crisis and the recent coup, highlights his commitment to storytelling and humanizing his subjects.
9. Pride and Prejudice: Pyae Phyo Kyaw, a gay doctor, is challenging societal prejudice and discrimination while providing medical aid in conflict zones, aiming to create a more inclusive and equitable society.
8. The Story of Magway: May shares a heartbreaking account of an innocent bystander's tragic encounter with soldiers, highlighting the destruction of young people's dreams and the dire situation in Magway since the coup, while calling for global involvement in the revolution against the military regime.
7. Liberation At All Costs: Linn Thant, a former political prisoner, endured immense suffering during his two decades in prison, relying on meditation and Buddhist teachings to maintain hope and resilience. He now supports the armed resistance against the military dictatorship while advocating for international support to bring about change.
6. You Can't Go Home Again: Jessica Mudditt's experience in Myanmar during the 2010s highlights the dramatic changes and challenges faced by the country in the lead-up to the 2015 election and the subsequent return to military dictatorship in 2021. She reflects on the resilience and determination of the Burmese people in their struggle for democracy despite the obstacles they face, including the destruction of journalism and the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment.
5. Mratt Kyaw Thu: Journalist Mratt Kyaw Thu, hailing from Rakhine state, faced challenges as a non-Bamar in Yangon. He discusses his reporting on the 2016 attack in Maungdaw, unwittingly becoming part of the story. Despite warning of a second attack, his words went unheeded, leading to the displacement of Rohingyas. Today, he reports on Myanmar's conflict from Spain due to the dangers faced by journalists, and reflects on the challenges of reporting in a divided media landscape and the need for media to educate the public.
4. Bart Was Not Here: An artist known for blending classical and modern influences in his art, Bart shares how he uses humor as a weapon to comment on Burmese society and politics.
3. The Side Effect of a Revolution: Darko, a Burmese musician and artist, has used his creativity to express his opposition to the oppressive military regime, even in the face of personal risk. He reflects on the power of music and art to inspire and motivate people in times of struggle and calls for global support for Myanmar's people during these challenging times.
2. Resiliency in the Face of Terror: Meredith Bunn provides a sobering perspective on the immense challenges faced by the people of Myanmar as they resist an oppressive military regime. She highlights the resilience of the population and the need for self-protection in the face of brutal violence.
1. David Eubank: A Man of Faith and Action Fights for Burma: David Eubank, inspired by a chance encounter in Burma, founded the Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian organization that has been providing aid to ethnic communities in Myanmar for over 25 years and continues to support the people's struggle against the brutal Burmese military, emphasizing non-violence and faith in their mission.