Over the Borderline
Insight Myanmar10 Kesä 2025

Over the Borderline

Episode #353: Professor Lahra Smith, a political science professor specializing in East Africa at Georgetown University, argues that Myanmar’s current struggles must be seen within a global framework of colonial legacies, using Sudan as a comparative case. While acknowledging contextual differences, Smith shows how both countries were shaped by British colonial rule that hardened ethnic divisions, created infrastructure disparities, and entrenched political inequalities.

Sudan lies within Africa’s so-called "coup belt," illustrating a broader dissatisfaction with post-colonial governance and foreign interference. Like Myanmar, Sudan has suffered from military coups that initially promised reform but quickly descended into new forms of repression. Smith discusses how colonial policies divided Sudanese society along racial and religious lines, just as British colonialism in Myanmar entrenched ethnic and religious hierarchies that still drive conflict today.

Colonialism’s infrastructural and missionary legacies further marginalized Sudan’s peripheries, fostering grievances that exploded into civil wars and the eventual, troubled independence of South Sudan. Similarly, Myanmar’s marginalized ethnic regions remain flashpoints for conflict. Smith stresses the need to move beyond thinking in terms of static land borders and recognize the deeper regional and cultural continuities that colonial boundaries disrupted.

Ultimately, Smith emphasizes that identities and nations are constantly evolving, and that just drawing new lines on maps to replace the old, artificial, colonial ones will not solve the problems caused by the colonial experience. She stresses that genuine understanding requires recognizing this fluidity.

Jaksot(511)

Monkey in the Middle

Monkey in the Middle

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Revolutionizing Relief

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Why Did Ashin Sarana Disrobe?

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The Art of War

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Episode #268: In a discussion emblematic of the complexities inherent in international diplomacy, Scot Marciel, former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar, elucidates the multifaceted challenges of addressing ...

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Bonus Content: An Interview with The Bangkok Podcast

Bonus Content: An Interview with The Bangkok Podcast

We were honored to join our friends at The Bangkok Podcast to discuss the origins of our platform and how we've navigated the challenges of hosting discussions in the post-coup environment. We are sha...

13 Syys 202436min

Navigating a Mine Field

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Namaste to Nowhere

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Episode #266: We are joined by Kimi Colney and Makepeace Sitlhou, journalists covering the humanitarian crisis and ethnic conflicts along the Indo-Myanmar border in India’s northeastern states. They d...

6 Syys 20241h 8min

Reading the Tea Leaves

Reading the Tea Leaves

Episode #265: Marc Batac's story is one of profound political transformation, reflecting the broader struggles of Southeast Asia. Born in the eastern regions of the Philippines, Marc's early exposure ...

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