All Along the Mekong
Insight Myanmar11 Aug 2025

All Along the Mekong

Episode #377: “Myanmar is a source of inspiration everywhere! This is me speaking directly to friends in Myanmar, that they should understand that they are the source of inspiration, and the source of ideas and reflections, to a level that they don't recognize, because there are a lot of reflections going on in the corners of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, that are not there on media.”

Tee is a Vietnamese activist devoted to regional peacebuilding, and is particularly connected to Myanmar. His solidarity is deeply personal, not about grand gestures but about sharing in the struggles of his friends. As he says, “I am from Vietnam... but I think my identity is much more connected to being a Southeast Asian.”

Tee draws parallels between Myanmar's struggle for democracy and Vietnam’s history of resistance. Looking at the present situation, he notes how Myanmar's revolutionary forces are not just resisting military rule; they are building a future with fair power-sharing and inclusion of ethnic minorities—ideas that resonate deeply with activist communities across Southeast Asia.

Tee critiques Vietnam's role in Myanmar’s crisis, particularly through the country’s telecom giant, Viettel. This company maintains close and supportive relations with the Myanmar military through its Burmese subsidiary, Mytel, thereby undermining the democratic movement and complicating life for the Burmese people.

Tee also addresses migration issues across the Mekong region, in particular, the recent lack of empathetic response in countries like Thailand. He bemoans the erosion of any collective memory regarding the regional solidarity Southeast Asian countries once felt during the colonial and post-colonial eras.

Despite these challenges, Tee remains hopeful. He emphasizes that Myanmar's struggle inspires people across the region, even if that impact is not always visible. “Solidarity right now is a big word and it has become a buzzword. But go down to the essence of solidarity, and it's really just about being there. The solidarity that I have with my friends is simply that they were the friends I met after the coup in Myanmar.”

Episoder(542)

Forced to Vote

Forced to Vote

Episode #527: Nay Chi, a senior researcher with the Myanography project, describes Myanmar’s post-coup election as an exercise in coercion rather than public choice. Drawing on reports from community ...

28 Apr 1h 21min

A Rose by Any Other Name

A Rose by Any Other Name

Episode #526: “I actually was anti-Muslim when I was in high school!” recalls Thet Swe Win, describing how he was influenced by nationalist propaganda in his youth. But his involvement in the 2007 Saf...

27 Apr 2h 20min

Knocking on Malaysia’s Door

Knocking on Malaysia’s Door

Episode #525: Heidy Quah, founder of Refuge for the Refugees in Kuala Lumpur, describes her work supporting migrants and refugees in Malaysia, particularly those fleeing Myanmar. She began volunteerin...

24 Apr 1h 57min

The Path in Question

The Path in Question

Episode #524: Max Ante’s story begins not with a gradual curiosity, but with a sudden rupture. At twenty, after a series of chance encounters, he found himself on a ten-day Vipassana retreat in the Go...

23 Apr 2h 40min

A Life In Motion

A Life In Motion

Episode #523: The fourth episode in our five-part series brings you conversations recorded at the 16th International Burma Studies Conference at Northern Illinois University, where scholars, students,...

21 Apr 1h 30min

The Transparency Paradox

The Transparency Paradox

Episode #522: “We became interested in understanding how distrust toward official institutions influences the way humanitarian aid actually moves on the ground, and how donors decide where to place th...

20 Apr 1h 24min

Victims of Success

Victims of Success

Episode #521: “The weapon itself just cannot tell the difference between a soldier stepping on it, or a kid on the way to school, or your grandma on her way to the place of worship.” For Erin Hunt, E...

17 Apr 1h 18min

The Akha Way

The Akha Way

Episode #520: “Ancestors are not dead. They’re not the living dead. Rather, they should be best thought of as ‘the always living.’” Dr Micah Morton, a cultural anthropologist and professor at Northern...

16 Apr 1h 59min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
popradet
stopp-verden
dine-penger-pengeradet
nokon-ma-ga
det-store-bildet
rss-gukild-johaug
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
fotballpodden-2
hanna-de-heldige
aftenbla-bla
rss-ness
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik
frokostshowet-pa-p5
e24-podden