Transcript: Episode #66: Dr. Sasa on the COVID crisis in Myanmar
Following is the full transcript for the interview with Dr. Sasa, which appeared on August 3, 2021. This transcript was made possible by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and has not been checked by any human reader. Because of this, many of the words may not be accurate in this text. This is particularly true of speakers who have a stronger accent, as AI will make more mistakes interpreting and transcribing their words. For that reason, this transcript should not be cited in any article or document without checking the timestamp to confirm the exact words that the guest has really said.
Host 00:26
If we are complacent and don't do really aggressive containment and mitigation, the number could go way up and many, many millions to be isolating patients emphasizing social distancing. The Coronavirus is now that COVID-19 can be characterized as apartment Hey everyone I had a good day.
Dr. Sasa 01:45
I'm pleased to be speaking today with Dr. Sasa the former special envoy to the United Nations and currently the Union Minister of international cooperation and spokesperson of the national unity government of Myanmar. Dr. Sasa, thank you so much for joining us here today Insight Myanmar podcast. Thank you for having me. So while there's so much to discuss concerning the events of the last six months, what's bringing us together now is the urgency of the covid 19 pandemic as it's sweeping through your country. Of course, much of the world has already suffered from Coronavirus in their own way in the course of the last year and a half. Yet what Myanmar is now facing is very different from anything we've seen in any other country. For the past year and a half waves of COVID have exploded across countries because events took them by surprise or because of new virus mutations or inadequate health systems, or even governmental ignorance or inaction. But in Myanmar today with a challenging healthcare infrastructure to begin with a much more deadly Delta variant now taking hold. The situation has been seriously exacerbated by the military junta actively arresting physicians forcing healthcare workers on the ground and prohibiting the import of essential medical supplies. Against this aggression, the Burmese people don't really even have a chance. So this is just a little background on the situation. For those listeners unfamiliar what exactly is happening now in Myanmar in relation to the virus, can you give a brief summary of the current state of COVID Firstly, this military coup should never have take place. In the first place, no one's who have think of getting the power of the people of Myanmar by mail a few weapons and by killing the people and when the rest of the world attacking these killer COVID lighting they are imposing a social distancing, travel restrictions, lockdowns etc, and working around the clock to save the people of this club from this pandemic. But the military generals in Miramar are just doing the opposite. They have no social distancing. They have no lockdown. They have no travel restrictions. So what basically happening the last four months is the military junta after they take our democracy as stolen our freedom and attack our people. They setting men and women in uniform who should be protecting the people of Myanmar to attack the people of Myanmar from village to village. from town to town, from city to city or state to state to where is their social distance? Where is that travel restriction? Why is that locked up so badly Security, this is in the way, a very mad made humanitarian catastrophe. And the military junta is responsible for creating these situation with COVID-19 panaramic. Now we are facing the third wave, third wave COVID-19 spreading across the country, it's out of control. And they it is dead or fiery. That means no hook can promise that there will not be fourth wave, who can promise that there will not be fifth wave or sixth wave because magma is being created by the military to be a new ground for COVID-19 to breed. So who can say there will be no new variants that will be more deadly than this variant we are facing. So there can be new strim covellite new mutant mutations because it's out of control. So epidemiology is and all the one who is expired with the virus, we all know I'm a doctor, we know how these things can quickly move the mutation to place if it's allowed like that. And so it's a very, very is a concern not only for the people of Myanmar, it should be a concern for international community concern for UN Security Council. It should be a concern for who God so for our neighbor, China, India, Thailand, everyone's concerned about this because COVID-19 have no Bowden has no respect for borders, international borders. COVID-19 has no respect for political affiliation, have no religions have no race, so it can quickly become out of control. So it's a very, very critical situation. Are you in touch with any healthcare professionals on the ground in Myanmar and if so, what are they telling you now, of course, these doctors and nurses, these the the heroes of the nations have been working around the clock, where they are and with their own capacity, I have been in several compared with the people who are working on the ground situations that we have formed as the government we have formed COVID night in manage control projections, conditions, that is national level condition. And what's happening on a ground is the military junta that we are facing in Miramar, they are attacking health workers, they are attacking nurses and doctors and it is honestly unbelievable, because without Doctors Without nurses, no one can can even give these COVID-19 insulation to the people. These military junta in Myanmar that we are facing, they are simply eggs if I can tell you like a few days ago, they like to advise the doctors who are helping COVID-19 patient who are dying at the homes with okay. So the military regime like to stop them doing so. Because that expose them somehow and they pretend as as if they are COVID lighting patient and they call those doctors say please come and help us I am not well I have COVID-19 adopters turn up to help to to wherever location they point out. It tend to be the military men a woman uniform. And they arrested a doctor straightaway and torture them arrest them. We don't know where it kept. A few days ago. They said 12 doctors and nurses arrested just imagine in that way they trap to arrest doctors. And let me go back a little bit to that. Like you know, when the military coup took place, the people of Myanmar the doctors, the nurses, everyone, we all say enough is enough right to live under This, this killer would like to live under this mothers who only bring death and destruction to the people of Yemen. So when they do peaceful protest, peaceful movement, which is much more powerful than the military act of terrorism. So they strike and they refuse to work under the military boots. Because those military junta are a killer in Myanmar for many, many years, the fielding of crime against humanity, atrocities, war, crime, genocide, what happened to the low income people? Last 17 2018. Those are the crime against humanity as the world watch the atrocities committed by the military junta in Yemen. So these are the same people who committed crimes against humanity. These are the same people who committed ethnic cleansing and atrocities a genocide to against the Kachin people, the South people, the Hmong people, the Quran, Qian Rakhine Rohingya chain, name it, all of us are the victims of these mantle's in VMR. So when the military took a power slide that people of Myanmar say, is do or die, because there's no other way. And there's doctors and nurses trained the most peaceful movement called CDM movement, civil disobedience movement. Right from that time they have, as they start attacking the doctors, the nurses, the healthcare workers across the country, is 250 records of attack on healthcare facilities than doctors and nurses across the country. These are unacceptable, these are the doctors and nurses who should be protected the people from COVID-19 but the militaries are attacking, the ones who are attacking COVID-19. So in a way the doctors attack COVID-19. And the military attacked the doctors who attack overnight. So, any country in the world they should be in a we have got the armed forces in n nations the world Armed Forces purpose and they swell in to protect the people. But the the, the military Kuta under the command of MiG tau Hi. I just do the opposite. They are attacking the people attacking the doctors attacking the nurses attack at the hospital facilities now. All the hospitals asked about occupied by the military junta in the hospital, they are no doctor, no nurses there is there are military weapons. So how can we do with this COVID-19 when our healthcare system has been ruling under the military. Right. So that certainly is a distressing picture. And when we look at the start of the CDM movement, indeed, it was many of the doctors and nurses that led the way and because of that they have been under a special kind of persecution for their leading role in that movement. And as you just referenced, they the military is using hospitals as well as monasteries and schools and other places to actually set up their camps all over the country. So hospital work is not getting done. This is quite a distressing picture that you paint of the third wave the Delta variant of COVID spreading throughout the country and doctors being unable to help them to a large extent and the military persecuting the doctors as the disease rages on. So what can be done How can this be responded to? international community is the only answer to this. This problem because the people of Myanmar have done everything they can and in fact they are giving their life for the cause. Freedom and Democracy for the cost of protecting the people of Myanmar for COVID. From COVID-19. And you see as cross country, the people are crying for oxygen, they cannot breathe it. Say we cannot breathe it, we can't breathe anymore. And the military junta prohibiting and obstructing the people of Myanmar to get oxygen. They don't have this military junta has no interest to protect to protect the people. But all the proof is to kill the people. That's why they have killed nearly 1000 images nearly 1000. The last few months. Those 1000 people have been killed in cold blood. The Wii teams, Dave, that is wrong. They have done nothing wrong. And they arrested now almost 7000 men a woman include including children, they restaurant for years old children before so those children are arrested after they cannot find their parents. So they arrest the children by thinking that the parents will turn up the prey No. So these military junta actions is unacceptable. Unbelievable. It's it shows how bad human being can be. It sure how bad things can be when it's evil, it's evil. You can only say it's evil. So now we have been saying what it what evil means in this world. And they have issued arrest warrants to so many doctors, so many nurses, including me. They charged me with high treason. In the way I'm a proud because I stand up for democracy, the freedom and justice. They are the enemy of democracy, that enemy of freedom and peace. I still for peace, I still for love, I still for the future. So they treated me as the enemy and charged me with high treason because of that. But in the way it is a funny that military junta who is commit who are committing crime against humanity, high treason against the people of the country, we have charged with high treason, just imagine that. So, this is the the situation that we cannot be alone. Everybody has to come to ball, everybody has to come together. That means it's nice in a community have to come together. Example. All the international community is dealing with COVID-19 distillation and COVID-19 control and COVID it related eight and relieve all the organizations around the world and responsible government around the world responsible International Accounting around the world. Everybody has to be on board. And we have to do this together. It is no way that the people of Myanmar will be expected to control and prevent this COVID night and our lands days. Target it's coordinated and a strong support for international community like oxygen, oxygen or something that the villagers can make. It's something that has to produce and carbonated treatment at PPA facemask. Most importantly community vaccination it's not something that we can do alone and that's why I'm calling to UN Security Council to do a strong and new resolution to call for ceasefire. COVID-19 ceasefire we need COVID-19 ceasefire we need COVID-19 panoramic pause so no one should be thinking of getting guards and shoot data people when it's this paradigm is killing all of the millions of people around the world. So is that you in a secret costume To come together, realize that COVID-19 has no border. COVID-19 has no it does not understand the UN Security Council, or un or in a religious of peace security, it kill, kill kill, that's COVID-19. So in the way if, before the switch become too late UN Security Council have to stop this military junta in Myanmar of the act of violence across the country. Let's say we bring COVID-19 personation. Military who came in attack, that COVID nativist nation, we have every reason to believe that they will do the same again because these people are attacking the doctors, the nurses is a military junta attacking the doctors and nurses. So that is an attack on COVID-19 prevention. That is an attack on COVID-19 control that's an attack on COVID-19 management. Very simple. And so when Critical Mass Comm with a new throng resolution calling for pandemic pose, pandemic ceasefire COVID-19 six five, so that these oxygen can be supplied to the people who are most in need. During that ceasefire period, also supply will go into the people of Myanmar and Versa nation must be administered to the people of the AMA, without any military interference. Who can who can transport oxygen and that coordinate vaccination with cat pointment with cat pointer with smoke Dickens does not want to work. So we need UN Security Council to impose COVID-19 ceasefire immediately and now Otherwise, it will be too late. By the time this COVID-19 data Varian crossed the border to China. By the time this COVID-19 new variant that we are facing in Myanmar cross to India cross to pilot and close to Asher and race to Russia and Europe and the US will be too late it will be too late. Therefore, this is the effort that minimum UN Security Council can immediately impose COVID-19 ceasefire now in Myanmar, where all the doctors the nurses can work freely to pretend to people so they must along the humanitarian pause. They must allow that coordinating ceasefire. Otherwise, no doctors no nurses will come to visit a bomb and killed by a military force without ceasefire. That's what would happen. Thank you for that and you reference how in the villages in the cities even Burmese people cannot manufacture or make what it is they need right now. They're in need of medical equipment and different medicine to be brought in safely to make best use of confronting the coronavirus pandemic. Can you detail a bit more specifically what types of medical equipment or medicine is most needed right now. So, this COVID-19 is something that is a very new and the world have not understood properly yet. No one know the origin of COVID-19 example. No One No, we all assume and we almost feel this is you know, so from laboratory or from you know, from rawan and laboratory how where we just don't know. And obviously new variant which is don't know. All we can do together is there is a mechanism of corrections. Hand washing everybody know how to wash hair but they need to soap they need to stop. There's no soap and everybody know how to wear masks cannot but there's no mask and everybody now understood. This should be so so distressing. But They, the military junta are setting 1000s and 1000s of men with very few weapons in uniform to across the villages. And there has to stop because there's no so this testing, they are super spread off COVID-19 across the country. Yeah, those are very simple mechanism, there has to be on Chrome. And there has to be health education to the people, it has to be committed the lat approach. And the community has to start community face mask campaign community had was in campaigns community, lockdown themselves a lot of their own community, like, you know, we should not travel to that village, this village, you know, because now right now, all the community has to be constrained, they can't go to the farm, the fields about not necessarily go out of the village, something like that. So that has to be implemented on the ground. And in terms of medicines, there's not really much but you know, how do we know that our body is able to resist somehow those COVID-19 recovery, so there is pre existing condition, let's say if somebody have high blood pressure, if somebody have diabetes, if somebody have all those pre existing condition, we should be identifying those condition who have it, who does not, so that we can give the best care to them. And if they have the high temperature that we need to have positive more, to employ down the same way, you know, if somebody have no food to eat, hungry is not good for virus, our body must be strong, in mute, somehow immunity, our immunity has to be strong, that may give you might have enough nutrients to our body. That's the way how we overcome COVID-19 also, yeah, there is a recovery rate, some 80% of people who got COVID-19 recover, because they are treated well in that situation. If there is the hydrate the dehydration, that has to be rehydration. So all those things as the thing that the people of Myanmar need right now, basic thing I can say is basic thing, we don't need to be adopted to do that, everybody can do that. And everybody have the responsibility to do that, but they need the resources. And this resignation is critical, because of assassination, allowing people to be immune to that virus, even if capsule This is the main the main focus for us. So, we cannot also just give one one part of the people COVID-19 destination and another community left behind. If that is the case, then that COVID-19 destination will not be effective. Because the one who do not eject COVID-19 personation will be carrier of COVID lighting, and it will be transmitted again again to the population. So it has to be the effort of everyone together. You reference the help that's needed right now from the international community from the neighboring countries from the United Nations. And that's definitely true. In short of receiving that help and for the time being. Is there any potential plan as far as you're safe and able to say on the side of the uwg for being able to bring in and vaccinate themselves we are talking to international community not just this time right from the beginning, Myanmar was a country that was able to control and manage the COVID-19 in the early on, and we are in fact at the first country the receive COVID-19 destination for India. And we have got a plan to to to be able to administer cognitive assassination to 20% of our population by April this year. It was our plan and we have got a really good plan and we have got a really Good strategy to roll out right for the beginning but first of February, the military junta wipe out our plan. They kill it they kill all the plant to control prevents manage COVID-19 Mima what they do they brought weapons were a few weapons and killed the people. They will not bring COVID-19 vacillation military do not bring oxygen. But they kill the people. They bring the kinds of weapons and bullets. They bought with the money stolen money from the people of Myanmar, and they bought his weapon from Russia to China and bring in a killer people. That's what they're doing. So now as we civilian government, again, is an attack and it's stolen our democracy stolen by them smokey can What can we do? But what I can say is we are sacrificing our life to do this job. We are risking our life every day every moment and we are talking to international community with corson bodies to provide vaccination and I have said request letter to GAVI organizations sea of coffee. Yeah, versus airlines. For my who World Health Organization and under the program of coffee, and that's called convex program, convex program. So now international community through this course, international bodies, we are receiving, we are receiving an anti vaccination. We are about to receive MSA, we are about to receive and some 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccination recipient becoming to me, Emma. And then the question is not about Vasant. The question is about how those version will be given to the people of Myanmar when this got widened. military junta, man and woman will develop your weapon at large. They are roaming around the country to kill the people. So that's why we are saying important thing is ceasefire for military junta, and they must withdraw all those lfu weapons from people for a population from private homes and villages and cities across the country. So that this panoramic can be managed in the control. And we are also talking to international community like European Union, where they have COVID-19 mechanism that can be activated under the requires of the state government. But the problem here is that we have no government now on the ground because the it's be occupied by military junta, they occupied us. So we are asking another international community bodies like ICRC, it allows the Red Cross committee to be able to talk to like European Union on behalf of the people of Myanmar who are facing such such difficult time. It's the darkest moment in our history. So I can tell you so many things that we are doing, but some of the things that we have been doing we are doing. I cannot. I cannot. Yeah, I cannot totally detail. Sure. Sure you reference what the international community could do if they step in? How about aid organizations, international aid organizations? And how about just normal donors listeners to this podcast that would like to help in some small way themselves, what would be the role of individual donors and larger aid organizations? This world is lucky to have so many people who have got really good heart and try to help the people who are in troubles and try to help solve the problem who have had a problem. And there's so many charity organization or church or monastery I can tell so many people are doing so many good things. So wherever you Whichever committee belongs to I am sure there's always a community and organizations or groups that are tried to make the differences please go and try those people gate have those people will try to relieve the people of BMR from this suffering and pain. And there's so many organizations you can say un organizations or other non governmental organization and entities that are doing a lot of good things in the AMA is CSO community based organization and civil society organizations, NGOs across the country is a field with all these good people. So, I requires an appear to all of the listener of this podcast that please find out these organizations which are near to you, and which are in your community, or inside samyama and support them in whichever way you can, every support that you can give to the people of Myanmar true those organizations will be counted. It's about a glass of water is a price of glass of water. So glass of water matters in this moment, glass of water to the people of Myanmar matters, and value in this moment, that is what how much we need the help from international community and from individuals around the world. And we again, thankful to all the generous people who have been giving to relieve the people of Myanmar, from this pain and the suffering that they have been doing for so much for so long, under this military junta. Personally speaking, I'm thinking that you yourself come from a medical background, and I can't imagine what it must be like for you to be seeing this devastation. Now, I've heard that you became a doctor originally. because growing up you saw people in your community in your local small community in 10 state that were dying of treatable diseases, and you personally felt a conviction to become a doctor to be able to save these lives. So I can't imagine what it must be now to see a much wider community continuing to die of treatable diseases, given your own personal history, I mean, the world have suffered enough, you know, the world have suffered enough. Enough is enough. Now we have suffered too much. I have seen the woman die in childbirth, that in the labor you know, four or five days of labor, imagine four or five days of labor in the bamboo houses and the kitchen, a chunk of villages across the country. In fact, 75% of Myanmar population live in rural remote area 75% only 25% live in the place where there's a hospital or whether it's university or college. Just imagine that. And so yeah, it is heartbreaking to see what's happening now. As a doctor, I am craving I'm crying for my people every day. It's so painful for me to see that. That, you know, like I saw another day there's a man in his 40s dying on the floor is his father in another room dying in the bedroom without anybody happy there. They both are dying of COVID-19 just they say I cannot read and the father was saying for the bath. He cannot be any more. The son was saying from crying from the city room. It cannot be any more. In fact, they both die in that situation. And some good people found that happened. And they saw that happen to them. Just imagine that's why they're so um Yeah, I saw in my own village When I was small three people died three people die from preventable diseases. Three people, one from the one from the same family, one from one in the morning, one in last time, what the evening. Just imagine those moment I was thinking I could be the next to die I'll be my mom were the next to die to chatbot I'll be the next to die to diarrhea and that was that motivate me to became a doctor actually, that I found out that this to be something that I can do. There could be some, some good thing that I can bring to my people. Not necessarily adopted, but I was thinking there must be something there must be something to do with to do about this suffering, pain and that destructions. So, basically, I was motivated by the suffering the pain I've seen in my childhood period. And the worst was men may suffer. So the military junta rifle my childhood, I've talked about that is some 30 years ago, 32 years ago. My village small village is no electricity, no running water, no school, no hospital nothing. But military generals sent their men a woman the soldier to my village 32 years ago, and it occupied my village since then, till today, it has been 32 years that we have been occupied. And the beginning I still remember the raping the woman's in the village. They do forced labor every day there was torture, forced labor, rape, do they bring their fear and that that destruction to the village community? It has been party two years like that occupied by the military till today till today. So in that way, all ethnic states across the country are being occupied by military forces. of the no as the tomato, the tomato, occupy so many villages, so many community owning to bring that destructions torture forced labor, rape, so they use culture, forced labor. Yeah, as weapons. And they do have the bell a few weapon for the villagers that you know, said they have no weapon, so they have nothing to do. So they start raping, yeah, torturing and forced labor, the people. This is really a picture of evil and devastation that's being painted on top of a raging pandemic Delta variant, the third wave that's sweeping over the country, if you've been given any impression, or any idea, roughly, the kind of death rate are the numbers that we might start to see. It is very difficult because all the information are blacked out by the military junta that's deliberately the they, they have no data that all the data that he has saying is no more belief. Because the dead the, the, the, the dead body out, you know, coming to the cemetery accumulations are so many, so many, it's just we have to just go to the, to the, to the cemetery cemetery, or the corinthia to count a dead body. But the difficult thing is many bodies are being cumulated by, like in the young call and it's so even it's not creepier enough. And so, it's very, very difficult to know how many and I but you know, we know that 1000s have died 1000s 1000s have died already. And then you know, this is at least we taking the test is so long, I mean again the testing of COVID-19 is very low despite of that is 35% positive coming. So the next few months. What we can say is half population of Malmo will be affected by COVID-19. Yeah, so how can we have a country that half population are being affected by COVID-19 so we are 16 54 million people have population. So that situation, just imagine, you know, half the population will be under the poverty line according to you United Nation development program that means 24 35 million, so 27 million is half a population of 54 will be under will be forced to live under extreme poverty. Because of this military junta mermaid created humanitarian catastrophe, and 6.4 million people of Myanmar will be without food buy out of October this year. And half 1.2 million in 1.2 million people have been displaced by the military junta that include Of course out there Rinka, brothers, sisters. So how can we manage a country where we have this place? 1.2 million people, and 6.4 million people without food, and 37 million people living boffi forced to live under the poverty. It's all manmade disasters, it's all manmade, suffering and pain and data destruction. So the only answers as I said, international community have to come together as as one. And you know, otherwise, we will have no country, I really believe that we will have no country if this was a continent ideas. You mentioned how the pandemic is spreading without any respect for borders or for peoples This is what diseases do. Do we have any sense of how the pandemic is raging? Not just among the people, but among the military in their family as well. We know that their families in the military live very closely together in their bases and their barracks? And do we have any sense of how they're also being impacted by it at this time? Yeah, it's obvious, I can tell you that many military men and women are also suffering from this pandemic. But again, they need a savior. Because these military generals like me, outline they are now you know, they call that a comment to the soldier. If you shoot you, if you do not kill the people, you will be killed. That's the point. That's the thing that they are saying to their to their own men and women in uniform, should be killed or be killed. So in that circumstances, so many I can feel as human being, as DDB do. You know, many military family I break it down emotionally, and socially. And in this panoramic citizens, then this impact them hugely, you know, their ordinary soldier who just love to have a family and we just love to support family, although broken now is ruined. So military junta leaders, the SOC leaders, SSE leaders, they have, you know, they are not ruling only the life of the ordinary people of Myanmar, but they also ruling their own children life, their own grandchildren's future, and, you know, the life of the family, the life of the military, men, a woman who are just good people, good people, the right kill, but they are being ordered to kill. So this is evil, it's very evil. Do you think there's any possibility or any consideration with having any discussions with members of the military at some level of some kind of temporary cooperation that can just respond to this urgent health crisis? And I understand that international community are engaging some level with minimum engagement with the military junta for practical reasons, like getting permissions to get this vaccination to the country and you know, getting the travel permits and all these arches. Yeah, manmade, as I said, it is imposed by military junta in the country. So I also do believe that and hope and pray and hope and pray. military leaders will realize that this pandemic do not know that Our military generals, and these will kill their family and their children and grandchildren. And they are destroying the life not only the people, they are destroying their own life, their own children's future, their own grandchildren's future. So, I hope that pray that they will come to realization that they cannot do this anymore. They cannot go in this direction anymore. And they have to turn back. And they have to surrender their tasks and hunger for power, that they have to give the power back to the people of Myanmar. And that is the only way how we can manage the situation. Because the power the sovereignty belongs to the people of Myanmar, not to the military generous. But they because evil evil have no reason. So they have no reason for stealing our democracy, they have no reason to kill the people, they have no reason there's just no reason without this. You know, all they make is like they say there's a legit fraud. But they cannot prove. They say there was 10 point 4 million voter fraud list into the 20 election. But it can approve. They say it was the reason why they take the power from civilian government elected government. So I think they I mean, I hope and pray that they will give up the power. And they will give up the act of terrorism against people of Myanmar. And I hope and pray they will give up the atrocities and crimes against humanity that they have committed against the people of Vietnam. This The only hope that we have. But in terms of do I see that's happening? No. So it for us to be negotiate our dialogue, we need inclusive dialogue, we know we need it, but the coalition has to be met. The Killing has to stop panoramic pauses to be done on the ground. And the trustee has to stop. So when all to stop, that is the beginning of rebuilding our country. Thank you for that. And thank you for your time, I know you have a lot of things to get to. And I really appreciate you taking the time to talk about this with us. Before I let you go, I just want to give you a chance to speak to a couple different audiences that are listening in. I'm sure that we have people listening in from me and Mar that, as you said, are going through their darkest time in history are living through some kind of unspeakable suffering without any support, and are listening to you with a sense of hope of finding some means of perseverance. I also know that you have members listening of the audience that are outside of the country that are grief stricken by what you're saying that are wishing to help in any way they can, however, whatever wherever they are, however they find themselves. So I want to give you a chance to speak to these two diverse audiences. Those that are in Myanmar listening to these words hanging on those that are outside that are appalled by what they're hearing and wishing to help in some way. What would you say to those two types of people with me? I mean, the people of Myanmar are brave people, and courageous people, generous people, I can tell you that. And so decent bravery in the face of the military aggression. This courageous, peaceful movement icdm protests strike we got whichever more powerful than the military act of terrorism. All this gave me hope to the future for the people of Myanmar. Because of this breakthrough, and this courage, we have hope. When I see discourages men a woman is a brave man or woman across my country. I'm proud of the journey Hero. They are a nation of Peacemaker, not only for the nation but for the whole region. So I, this is the hope they were born. From this courageous people of Myanmar and the brave people of Myanmar. We need to keep this hope. Our bravery is not just for one day. Our courageous is not only for one day, it's for the rest of our life. And I look one of the very good profile I must call is the proverb live, you know. Second World, second World world soldiers, freedom fighter, they say we gave our life today for yours tomorrow. We gave our today for you tomorrow. So it's a very powerful statement. So the people of Myanmar are sacrificing their life for a future of tomorrow. So I can put this way we are giving our life today for a better tomorrow. Yeah, a better tomorrow. So that is the reason why we have so I'm doing now what I'm doing every day. I'm sacrificing my life for a better tomorrow. So I think that is where we are together that gave her hope and we must continue to do so. And we our unit is our strength minimize Maathai ethnic country, multi religious country, multi cultural country, we are like beautiful garden where so many flowers bloom we are like a garden of Miramar where so many tripe flower to me. Yeah, it's very simple. All that flowers should be accepted of their beauty. We all are the beauty of Miyama we all are the pride of Mima, we all should be allowed to bloom our colorful flower in our own district this way. No other flower have the right to kill another flower. Because we all are flower, we all are the trees, no other trees to come and kill another trees that is producing the fruit. The fruits of love the fruits of hope, the fruits of health, the fruits of education, the fruits of economy, the fruits of all of the fruit of the need. So I think we should see our all of us as a flower producing something really good to the people to the world. And that is for our people. So we all are flower we all flower soon will be blue again. Soon. We will be producing the fruits to the future to for tomorrow for better world for better place. Okay. There will be a country called federa Democratic Union of Myanmar centered democracy, why federal democracy it will be very important that no more discrimination. No more kidding. No more violence. ever break down we bring an end to violence, we will bring an end to terrorism. And we will start to build the future where all the rights will be protected regardless of religious culture, ethnic cities, race and the future will belong to everyone. Everyone, all the rights of all are protected, respected and promoted. That is the future. We are going and for international community and for outside of Myanmar, what I really want to answer is, please continue to advocate for the people of Myanmar, please continue to lobby for the people of Myanmar, please continue to support the people of Myanmar in whichever way you can. And there's a lot of way that the people from outside of Yama can have the people inside of them. So I hope and pray that international community and the people from from around the world will be the voice for the people of Myanmar is like voice for voice less the help for the hapless the hope for the hopeless. So I asked an apparent to the people around the world, to please be the voice of the voiceless, to be to help for the hapless to be the hope for the hopeless. Yeah. And to help us to ease the pain and suffering of the people of Myanmar.
1:01:30
Thank you,
Dr. Sasa 1:01:30
thank you for those words. And thank you for the time that you're spending with us today, amid what I know, was a very busy schedule. And I know in my heart and my prayers and my metta and that of the listeners that we will be doing and thinking and sending whatever good wishes and taking whatever good actions we can on behalf of helping the Burmese people as they're going through this very difficult time. And I thank you so much for taking the time to join us and answer some of these difficult questions. Yeah, thank you for having me. Thank you for having me.
1:02:20
What am I gonna do, we are done under the gun examiner, we got our busy and busy. yada, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada. But
Dr. Sasa 1:02:39
for today's discussion, it should be clear to everyone just how dire the situation is in Myanmar. We are doing our best to shine a light on the ongoing crisis. And we thank you for taking the time to listen. If you found today's talk of value, please consider passing it along to friends in your network. And because our nonprofit is now in a position to transfer funds directly to the protest movement, please also consider letting others know that there is now a way to give that supports the most vulnerable and to those who are specially impacted by this organized state terror. If you would like to join in our mission to support those in Myanmar who are resisting the military coup, we welcome your contribution in any form, currency or transfer method. every cent goes immediately and directly to funding those local communities who need it most. 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And I also invite you to take a look at our new nonprofit organization at better burma.org. There was certainly a lot to talk about in this episode, and we'd like to encourage listeners to keep the discussion going. Make a POST request specific questions and join in on discussions currently going on. On the Insight Myanmar podcast Facebook group. You're also most welcome to follow our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts by the same name. If you're not on social media, feel free to message us directly at info at Insight myanmar.org. Or if you'd like to start up a discussion group on another platform, let us know and we can share that form here. Finally, we're open to suggestions about guests or topics for future episodes. So if you have someone or something in mind, please do be in touch. We would like to take this time to thank everyone who made this podcast possible. Currently, our team consists of two sound engineers, Mike pink and Martin combs. There's of course Zack Kessler, content collaborator and part time co host, Ken pranskey helps with editing and a special Mongolian volunteer who was asked to remain anonymous does our social media templates. In light of the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, a number of volunteers have stepped in to lend a hand as well. And so we'd like to take this time to appreciate their effort and our time of need. And we're always on the lookout for more volunteers during this critical time. So if you'd like to contribute, definitely let us know. We'd also like to thank everyone who has assisted us in arranging for the guests we've interviewed so far. And of course, we send a big thank you to the guests themselves, for agreeing to come on and share such personal powerful stories. Finally, we're immensely grateful for the donors who made this entire thing possible. 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