Wes Kingsley
Insight Myanmar31 Loka 2023

Wes Kingsley

Episode #198: Wes Kingsley's remarkable journey takes us through his CIA assignments in various conflict-ridden regions, such as post-independence Congo, and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. It also takes us to Burma, which holds a special place in Wes's heart amid all his other adventures, as that is where he met his future wife and developed an appreciation of Buddhism.

Wes’s first CIA stint was in Eritrea, in Africa. During his time there, the Simba Rebellion in the Congo was heating up. A crisis developed in which American hostages were taken, and Wes was dispatched there to try and rescue them. Wes then went to Vietnam, experiencing the brutality of war and narrowly escaping attacks by the Vietcong, eventually leaving Saigon on one of the very last flights out of the besieged city.

Choosing Rangoon as his next destination, Wes hoped for a quieter atmosphere while combating Burma's narcotics trade. He witnessed the violent 1974 crackdown on student protests over the burial of U Thant’s body, but found solace in the peaceful nature of the Burmese people.

The uncommonly adventurous nature of his life even extended to his Burmese wife-to-be. Due to her inability to get a passport to leave the country, she escaped with gem smugglers to Thailand. Wes had to bribe Thai officials to marry them. Later, during his assignment in Jamaica, working for the State Department, he was “outed” as having worked for the CIA in Africa, resulting in he an assassination attempt on him and his family.

From Paris to Liberia to Central America to Manila, Wes’ adventurous life continued. But amid all the countries he visited and dangerous challenges he faced, the peaceful nature of the Burmese people and Buddhism still shine brightly in his memory.

Jaksot(506)

When Spiders Unite

When Spiders Unite

Episode #444: After more than 40 years of Burma advocacy, Larry Dohrs sheds light on the strategies that have exposed corporate and military abuses in the country, inspired meaningful action, and exac...

8 Joulu 20252h 24min

Children of the Revolution

Children of the Revolution

Episode #443: Ei, a former member of the People’s Defense Force (PDF), shifted from armed resistance to humanitarian work, and now focuses on child soldiers and youth affected by conflict. She joined ...

5 Joulu 20251h 29min

A Scanner Darkly

A Scanner Darkly

Episode #442: Yin Maung, a Myanmar-born digital-rights researcher with Aung Media, examines how non-consensual intimate images have become a political weapon in post-coup Myanmar. He places this crisi...

4 Joulu 202552min

Against Injustice

Against Injustice

Episode #441: “I just thought, ‘Someone has to stay and bear witness,’” says Paul Greening, a veteran humanitarian with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). For decades he moved between...

3 Joulu 20252h 9min

No Space for Dictators

No Space for Dictators

Episode #440: Rick Hanson and Brang Nan engage in a moving conversation on Myanmar's ongoing struggle for democracy, focusing on psychological resilience, Buddhist practice, and activism. Rick begins ...

1 Joulu 20251h 5min

Far From Home

Far From Home

Episode #439: “The key human rights issue within Thailand and more broadly within the region is migration related,” says Ben Harkins, a veteran labor rights and migration expert who has spent over sev...

28 Marras 20252h

Leaving the Tradition

Leaving the Tradition

Episode #438: Jonathan Crowley shares his journey as a practitioner and teacher in the Goenka Vipassana tradition, highlighting the conflicts that eventually led him to step away after 35 years of ded...

27 Marras 20252h 54min

Ghosts in the Machine

Ghosts in the Machine

Episode #437: Researchers Myat Su Thwe, a human-rights scholar, and Kyaw Lwin, a socio-legal specialist, examine how Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) operates digitally after the 2021 coup in...

25 Marras 20252h 14min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
politiikan-puskaradio
tervo-halme
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
viisupodi
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-podme-livebox
rss-asiastudio
otetaan-yhdet
the-ulkopolitist
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
linda-maria
rikosmyytit
rss-kiina-ilmiot
rss-polikulaari-pitka-kiekko-ja-muut-ts-podcastit
rss-vain-talouselamaa