Episode notes
The team is back for another in-depth conversation with Maung Zarni about the Myanmar military (the Tatmadaw) and how it became so powerful; the reasons popular support for the Tatmadaw evaporated after the February coup; the emergence of a revitalized and inclusive civil society in Myanmar; and what you can do right now to support this civil society (see below for more on that!).
Irene and Elisa also bring you up-to-date on the news, including:
A Guardian investigation that links illegal EU policies towards refugees to at least 2000 refugee deaths;
Continuing cultural genocide by Azerbaijan against Armenian heritage sites, including the destruction of the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in the city of Shushi in Nagorno-Karabakh;
New reports predicting 500,000 to 1 million deaths in India from Covid-19 by July 2021;
US President Biden's decision to suspend patents for Covid vaccines in order to respond to the growing pandemic crisis in India and elsewhere; and
Renewed Israeli attempts to erase Palestinian life from Jerusalem.
To take action to support civil society in Myanmar:
Sign a petition to Chevron: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/demand-chevron-stop-bankrolling-the-myanmar-military?clear_id=true&source=email-stop-chevron-bankrolling-the-myanmar-military-coup-day-9
Sign a petition to President Biden: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/myanmar-military-coup-tell-president-biden-to-impose-sanctions
US residents: Tell your Senators to support the Rohingya Genocide Determination Act of 2021 (S. 1142): https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senators-co-sponsor-the-rohingya-genocide-determination-act-of-2021-s1142
Join the Coalition Against Chevron in Myanmar: https://www.facebook.com/groups/263548775494329