Flattery Will Get You Everywhere
Insight Myanmar31 Jul 2025

Flattery Will Get You Everywhere

Episode #371: “I remain confident in the longer term, completely, actually, that this regime is losing,” says Sean Turnell, Australian economist and former advisor to Myanmar’s civilian government, as he analyzes the recent U.S. decision to lift sanctions on several junta-linked cronies, in what his fourth appearance on this platform. While acknowledging widespread concern, he offers a measured, optimistic assessment rooted in his deep knowledge of Myanmar’s economy and U.S. sanctions policy.

Turnell explains that this recent move is “very targeted to a few individuals and a few enterprises,” and not a broad shift in policy. He rejects the claim that it was prompted by a flattering letter from Min Aung Hlaing to Donald Trump, instead attributing it just to one of the rare successes in Washington lobbying campaigns around sanctions.

He details how sanctions, managed by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), have been both financially and psychologically effective, especially measures against state-owned banks, which have “choked off” the junta’s ability to conduct foreign exchange and fund its war machine. Turnell expects additional sanctions targeting entities like the Myanmar Economic Bank and possibly even the central bank, though he warns that U.S. staffing shortages may slow progress.

While acknowledging that the decision carries some unfortunate symbolism that could embolden the junta’s cronies, Turnell stresses that the core sanctions regime remains strong. But he urges relentless advocacy to prevent normalization efforts around the junta’s planned sham election. “We’ve just got to keep going,” he says in conclusion.

Episoder(509)

A Diplomatic Deadlock

A Diplomatic Deadlock

Episode #254: Kitti Prasirtsuk, a professor at Thammasat University, explains that neither ASEAN, nor Thailand in particular, have done enough to address the regionally important Myanmar crisis. In te...

26 Jul 202443min

Jonathan Crowley, Part 4

Jonathan Crowley, Part 4

Episode #253: This is the 4th installment of our interview with Jonathan Crowley, a dedicated vipassana meditator in the tradition of S. N. Goenka. In this episode, he speaks about the time he and his...

23 Jul 20242h 2min

A Star2 Is Born

A Star2 Is Born

Episode #252: Born in a Thai refugee camp after his family fled the violence in Myanmar, Star2’s life has been remarkable. His family moved to San Diego when he was just five, and there he faced a new...

19 Jul 20241h 5min

A Sacred Struggle

A Sacred Struggle

Episode #251: Alexandra Kaloyanides joins the podcast to talk about her recent book, Baptizing Burma: Religious Change in the Last Buddhist Kingdom. After pursuing her own meditation practice while ex...

16 Jul 20241h 50min

A Critical Junction

A Critical Junction

Episode #250: Rosalia (“Lia”) Sciortino, founder of SEA Junction in Bangkok, shares her poignant narrative of dedication to the country of Myanmar. Her journey began with an interest in cultural anthr...

12 Jul 20241h 16min

Fighting Fire With Fire

Fighting Fire With Fire

Episode #249: Nathan Ruser, a geospatial analyst focusing on human rights, sheds light on a deeply troubling situation unfolding in Myanmar's Rakhine State. Ruser has meticulously detailed the actions...

9 Jul 20242h 5min

ASEAN’s Inconvenient Humanitarian Crisis

ASEAN’s Inconvenient Humanitarian Crisis

Episode #248: Working in ASEAN for 27 years, Adelina Kamal played a pivotal role in establishing and ultimately being appointed executive director of its AHA Centre for Coordinated Disaster Response, ...

2 Jul 20242h 18min

Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment

Episode #247: Nicholas Koumjian, the head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), shares his insights into the ongoing atrocities in Myanmar. He emphasizes the critical need for...

28 Jun 20241h 5min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
i-retten
stopp-verden
det-store-bildet
fotballpodden-2
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
popradet
rss-gukild-johaug
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
nokon-ma-ga
aftenbla-bla
hanna-de-heldige
rss-dannet-uten-piano
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik
unitedno