The Burma (Myanmar) Interviews

Last updated: December 28, 2007  (Several additional interviews by Jotman listed here).


This page tracks interviews* -- mostly with Burmese people -- conducted in the wake of the September 2007 protests. This list includes not only the Jotman interviews, but a selection of interesting interviews available elsewhere on the Internet.

For example, Si Thu is presently driving across North America "to create awareness about human rights and political conditions prevailing in Burma." Along the way, Si Thu has bee interviewing various Burmese activist exiles along the way. Check out Driving for Burma blog. Nicholas Farrelly at New Mandala blog has recently interviewed several Burma scholars. Interviews from such sources are included here.

Feel free to suggest other interviews for inclusion on this list. By presenting a range of opinions in one place, I hope this resource will facilitate an exchange of ideas.

Interviews with people residing in Burma

U Gambira - a leader of the All-Burma Monks Alliance. He was imprisoned shortly after he gave this interview. (Penned this WaPo op/ed just prior to his arrest)

Anonymous monk in Burma

Rangoon businessman - discussion about media and technology

Construction foreman - discussion about media.

Burma war veteran - tells of how the regime repaid his military service by taking away his house.


Interviews with people who escaped Burma after Sepetember 2007
Ashin Kovida - escaped monk & protest leader
U Pan Cher - Rangoon protest leader (Jotman, coming soon)
U Sandawara - one of 'the 4 escaped monks': "We will make the next protest twenty times bigger than the last one."
Two returning escaped monks (Jotman, coming soon)




Interviews with people in the border regions

Maung - revolutionary leader: "We are planning possible things that would force the regime to enter into dialogue."
Zaw Nyein Latt - chairman, Burma Political Prisoners' Union (BPPU):

Myint Oo - Central committee member, All Burma Students' Defense Forces (ABSDF)



Interviews with people in Thailand and overseas

Burmese student demonstrator - outside Myanmar embassy in Bangkok

Maureen Aung-Thwin - director of the OSI Burma Project/Southeast Asia Initiative
Bo Bo Kyaw Nyein - son of late former Deputy Prime Minister U Kyaw Nyein (See also: "May I suggest" 2007 article at BBWOB , Oct. 2007 article, "strategy" 2006 article, "understanding the generals"2006 article)

Ko Thiri Nyunt - former ABSDF joint-general secretary (Burmese original version here)

Mr. Lee - chairman, League for Democracy in China

Gustaaf Houtman - editor of Anthropology Today on the origins of the Burmese military state.

Si Thu - Burmese activist and former ABSDF officer who drove across North America to raise awareness of the situation in Burma.

Soe Aung - spokesman for the National Council of the Union of Burma, an exile group based in Bangkok

Harn Yawnghwe - director of National Reconciliation Program and Brussels based Euro-Burma Office; senior advisor to Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC). He is the son of Sao Shwe Thaike the last prince of Yawnghwe and the first president of the Republic of Union of Burma.

Mike Robertson - climbed the the lower 219 meters of the Eiffel Tower (324m) on November 12, 2007 to raise awareness about Total, a French company that refuses to suspend or cease their operations in Burma.

Htein Lin - Burmese artist; political prisoner who spent seven years in prison during the 1990s.

Ricken Patel - Co-founder and executive director of Avaaz.org, an organization mobilizing people around the world against the Burmese regime. Talks to the BBC about "people power" and the role of global public opinion.

Sein Win - Prime Pinister the of National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma; Chairman, Party for National Democracy (PND).






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*Note: Only interviews with English translations have been included in my list.
Photos: all photos are by Jotman.