Best Mekong Region Podcasts (2024)

1
Sean Turnell on Myanmar, Civil War, and Economic Reform 29:11

1h ago29:11

29:11

How the "best laid plans" of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government went awry. Australian economist Sean Turnell has released his latest book "Best Laid Plans," detailing his efforts to lift Myanmar out of deep poverty as a policy advisor to Aung San Suu Kyi before she was ousted by a military coup in early 2021, when both of them were jailed.He sp…

1
Nic Dunlop on the Importance of Photography 35:06

4d ago35:06

35:06

The veteran Bangkok-based photojournalist takes aim at the World Press Photo awards. Nic Dunlop ranks among the best and most prominent photographers in Southeast Asia and he was the first journalist to track down and interview the former Khmer Rouge commandant from the S-21 extermination camp that operated in Cambodia under Pol Pot.Armed with a Kh…

1
Prosecuting War Crimes in Myanmar and Ukraine 29:21

1M ago29:21

29:21

A conversation with Lars Olsen about Cambodia’s hybrid tribunal and lessons for prosecuting war crimes elsewhere. War crimes tribunals have been actively touted by Ukrainian authorities and in Myanmar by the exiled National Unity Government, but what type of in-country tribunal would suit best? Or should alleged criminals be prosecuted by the Inter…

1
Myanmar’s Civil War: A View from Washington 33:02

2M ago33:02

33:02

Michael Martin of CSIS discusses the progress of the conflict, and the possible impact of the U.S. presidential election. Michael Martin is currently an adjunct fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, where he has also spent the past two decades as a specialist policy advisor on Myanmar alongside China, …

1
Dealing With Myanmar’s IDPs: A Conversation With John Murray 31:55

2M ago31:55

31:55

"Even in a forgotten war, everyone has a right to a home," says the veteran aid worker. Fr. John Murray is an Australian Catholic priest with Caritas Thailand who has worked extensively with refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) since arriving in the northwest border regions almost 20 years ago.He says the war inside Myanmar remains forgo…

1
Thailand and Myanmar’s Road Ahead: A Chat with Pichai Chuensuksawadi 37:19

3M ago37:19

37:19

A veteran editor reflects on five decades on the front lines of the Thai media. Pichai Chuensuksawadi spent his early years at boarding school in Australia before returning to Thailand, where he would work the next five decades as a journalist, editor, and publisher, and remains a key player on Thailand’s media front lines.At Post Publishing Public…

1
An End to Myanmar’s Civil War? A Conversation With Paul Greening 34:58

3M ago34:58

34:58

Greening says anti-regime forces could capture the Irrawaddy Basin and eventually declare victory over the junta. Paul Greening has worked as a political analyst and a specialist consultant with civil society organizations covering Myanmar since the military ousted an elected government in early 2021, pushing the country into a bitter civil war.He …

1
Trafficked and Desperate: A Conversation With Judah Tana 31:12

3M ago31:12

31:12

Horror tales from inside Myanmar’s cyber-scam cities. Judah Tana has spent the last two decades in humanitarian work along the Thailand-Myanmar border, where criminal syndicates have revolutionized human trafficking and 21st-century slavery into an industry with worldwide turnover in the trillions of dollars.Myanmar, along with Cambodia and Laos, h…

1
World in Crisis: A Conversation with Andy Pendleton 30:40

4M ago30:40

30:40

With the world's relief efforts focusing on Gaza and Ukraine, Africa is missing out. American Andy Pendleton has spent his entire adult life providing relief for civilians in war-torn countries from Southeast Asia to Africa and in his own words he has witnessed the “full spectrum of war and fighting, death and misery, pain and politics."Most of his…

1
Rating the Media: A Conversation With David Armstrong 31:10

5M ago31:10

31:10

The veteran editor speaks about the media's changing role and declining influence in both Australia and Southeast Asia. The media industry has changed enormously since David Armstrong began his career as a junior reporter for The Australian newspaper in Sydney in 1969, and not for the better. Superficiality and a “gotcha” mentality by too many jour…

1
Editing Cambodian News: A Conversation With Alan Parkhouse 31:56

5M ago31:56

31:56

The veteran editor on winning awards, breaking news, and managing journalists. Australian journalist Alan Parkhouse holds the rare distinction of having served as editor of both The Phnom Penh Post and its rival, the Khmer Times, at a time when journalistic freedoms in Cambodia were much greater than they are today.During his long career, Parkhouse…

1
Cabbages and Condoms: A Conversation With Mechai Viravaidya 27:45

6M ago27:45

27:45

How to save thousands of lives by preventing STDs. Mechai Viravaidya has spent the last 50 years at the helm of family planning in Thailand, and has been credited with saving countless lives through his safe sex campaigns, which rose to the fore when the HIV/AIDS virus took hold in 1981.From his flagship restaurant Cabbages and Condoms in Bangkok, …

1
Watching Human Rights in Southeast Asia 29:00

6M ago29:00

29:00

A conversation with Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch ahead of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. In his role as Deputy Director for Asia at New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), Phil Robertson has spearheaded investigations into human rights violations across Southeast Asia for the past 15 years, calling out and upsetting governments of all…

1
War Crimes and the Meaning of Genocide 36:15

6M ago36:15

36:15

A conversation with war crimes lawyer Michael Karnavas. Michael Karnavas is an American-trained lawyer licensed in Massachusetts and Alaska with 40 years of experience focused largely on war crimes and charges of genocide at tribunals in Cambodia, Rwanda, and the former Yugoslavia.He has worked as a criminal defense lawyer, in state and federal cou…

1
AsiaLIFE and Publishing Hip Magazines in Vietnam 29:31

8M ago29:31

29:31

Jonny Edbrooke speaks about his various media ventures and the importance of being nice in Southeast Asia. Jonny Edbrooke studied book making and worked for a printing company in Britain before moving to Hong Kong via Bangkok in 1985, when he began carving out a career in publishing as a designer of high-end magazines.In Hong Kong, he worked for Ma…

1
Human Rights and Protecting Cambodia’s Rainforests 33:02

9M ago33:02

33:02

Luke Hunt interviews Suwanna Gauntlett from the environmental group Wildlife Alliance. Suwanna Gauntlett arrived in Cambodia in 2000 and through Wildlife Alliance has sought to protect the rainforests in the pristine Cardamom National Park, where she has trained rangers for the Special Forestry Task Forces and the Royale Gendarmerie Khmer.Lately, h…

1
Making Art and Finding an Edge in Cambodia 35:31

9M ago35:31

35:31

Luke Hunt interviews German filmmaker Nico Mesterharm about arts funding in Southeast Asia and his latest documentary. Nico Mesterharm has spent more than 15 years as director of Meta House in Phnom Penh, producing films, plays, and books, while offering a stage for aspiring local and international artists who have rebuilt Cambodia’s arts scene wit…

1
World Music and Good Sports in Southeast Asia 30:39

9M ago30:39

30:39

Luke Hunt talks with Chris and Anya Minko about volleyball, wars, and Bachelors from Prague Chris Minko and his daughter Anya have carved out prominent lives in Thailand and Cambodia through music, sport, and education that came with the backing of Australian World War II hero Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop and Thai philanthropist Mechai Viravaidya.Chri…

1
One Dutchman and 350,000 Cambodian Refugees 31:52

10M ago31:52

31:52

A conversation with Hans van Zoggel. Hans van Zoggel taught English in his early 20s when he first met Cambodian refugees in The Netherlands. He was barely out of college and jobs were hard to come by but he left home for the Thai border camps where he succeeded in putting his students in touch with their relatives.He was also struck by their pligh…

1
Poetry of Transnational Immigration: Phan Nhiên Hạo’s Reading 1:05:23

10M ago1:05:23

1:05:23

In this episode of Crossroads, Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk speaks with Phan Nhiên Hạo about his experience as an immigrant from Vietnam translating into his poetic works and existing between two cultures and languages. Hao Phan (Phan Nhiên Hạo) is the Curator of the Southeast Asia library collection at Northern Illinois University and a published poet. …

1
A Cambodian-Born Australian Politician on Repression and Diaspora Politics 31:41

10M ago31:41

31:41

A conversation with Heang Tak. As a member of Parliament in the southeast Australian state of Victoria, Heang Tak ranks among the most prominent of the country's Cambodian diaspora, which has flourished since the first refugee boats began arriving from Indochina in the late mid-1970s.He is also a prominent human rights advocate within the Australia…

1
Five Cambodian Elections 31:05

11M ago31:05

31:05

A conversation with Gordon Conochie. Scottish-born Gordon Conochie, an adjunct research fellow at La Trobe University in Melbourne, has just released his book, "A Tiger Rules the Mountain: Cambodia's Pursuit of Democracy," an honest look at the elections that the Southeast Asian nation has held over the last two decades.He examines key moments in f…

1
“Turning Land into Capital: Development and Dispossession in the Mekong Region” 1:04:32

11M ago1:04:32

1:04:32

Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr Michael Dwyer to talk aboutstate reversals of earlier agrarian reforms in Southeast Asia that have rolled back “land-to-the-tiller” policies created in the wake of Cold War–era revolutions. They disucss this trend, marked by increased land concentration and the promotion of export-oriented agribusiness at th…

1
Aboriginal Elder Urges Australians to Vote Yes and Without Guilt 28:54

11M ago28:54

28:54

A conversation with Jill Gallagher. Jill Gallagher is a senior elder from the Gunditjmara nation, a spokeswoman for the Aboriginal community in the southeast Australian state of Victoria and a key advocate for the yes campaign and the Voice to Parliament, which will be decided through a referendum this Saturday.She says non-indigenous Australians s…

1
Surviving the Refugee Boats and Building a Vietnamese Museum in Australia 30:39

11M ago30:39

30:39

A conversation with Mylinh Lee, who arrived in Australia in a boat as a child and a refugee. In 1979, Mylinh Lee arrived in Australia as a child, by boat and as a refugee. More than four decades later she is a public relations specialist in Melbourne where she is also dedicated to the construction of the Vietnamese Museum Australia.The museum, due …

1
An Illustrious Photographer on Warzones and Hollywood 33:29

12M ago33:29

33:29

A conversation with Roland Neveu. French photographer Roland Neveu has spent five decades covering Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. His work also took him from South America to Africa and Hollywood, where he shot stills during film productions for Oliver Stone, Brian de Palma, and Ridley Scott.His world had changed dramatically during h…

1
Myanmar’s Revolution and the Challenges Ahead 33:32

1y ago33:32

33:32

A conversation with David Gum Awng of the National Unity Government. As deputy minister of international cooperation for Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG), David Gum Awng is at the forefront of negotiations and holding together a coalition of ethnic militias that are opposed to the military takeover of his country.Gum Awng met with The Dipl…

1
Assessing Cambodia’s New Political Leadership 36:19

1y ago36:19

36:19

A conversation with Bradley Murg. Cambodian autocrat Hun Sen completed a "generational" transfer of power this morning after the ruling party approved his eldest son Hun Manet as prime minister and a new government was sworn in by the National Assembly.The vote came one month after the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) secured government by winning 12…

1
Tax and Legal Aspects of Restructuring a Business in Myanmar 59:36

1y ago59:36

59:36

On 7 July 2023, our Partner and Myanmar Managing Director, Nishant Choudhary, had an informative discussion with Diberjohn Balinas (Myanmar Tax Director) and Rohan Bishayee (Myanmar Legal Consultant) on the tax and legal aspects of restructuring a business in Myanmar. Our team discussed the approaches on how to navigate issues in Myanmar given the …

1
From Cambodia’s Killing Fields to the US Secret Service 24:21

1y ago24:21

24:21

A conversation with author Leth Oun. As a child, Leth Oun enjoyed a happy life in Battambang City in western Cambodia. His family was poor but his father, a lieutenant in the Lon Nol government, ensured he went to school and that there was food on the table. Then, in April 1975, the Khmer Rouge marched into town.As a young boy, Leth Oun’s life was …

1
Legal Aspects of Restructuring Loans and Key Tax Updates in Myanmar 55:24

1y ago55:24

55:24

If you missed our live webinar from 7 June 2023, here is another chance at listening to a recording of Legal Aspects of Restructuring Loans and Key Tax Updates in Myanmar by DFDL experts, Nick Towle (Regional Senior Adviser) and Diberjohn Balinas (Myanmar Tax Director). The webinar came at a challenging time in Myanmar. The country’s recent politic…

1
"Come Eat, Grandma!" 1:01:33

1+ y ago1:01:33

1:01:33

Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk sits with VC Tang to discuss her new cookbook released titled "Come Eat, Grandma!" In this podcast, they discuss the writing process, some of the experiences that lead to the creation of this book, and growing up Thai in America and the joys and struggles it entails.VC Tang's book has been described as "A collection of flashb…

1
Rescuing the Trafficked in Southeast Asia 27:16

1+ y ago27:16

27:16

A conversation about modern day enslavement in Southeast Asia. The United States-based organization Unbound Now has spent the last decade focused on the prevention of human trafficking, professional training, and survivor advocacy, establishing offices in Indonesia, Mongolia, Poland, and Cambodia.More recently, the NGO has become involved with the …

1
Crime Is In the Air: PM2.5 Air Pollution and Policy Corruption 44:07

1+ y ago44:07

44:07

In this podcast, Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk and Chomkate Ngamkaiwan, a PhD candidate in Criminology at Mahidol University, Thailand, examine the ongoing PM2.5 crisis in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, and its vicinities as a form of environmental crime. She also explores the relationship between the air pollution and policy corruption. In these …

1
Arab Lutes and Indian Ocean Routes through Malaysian Soundscapes 45:54

1+ y ago45:54

45:54

Drs Jones and Jui-Ching Wang sit down with Dr Joe Kinzer to explore how centuries of conflicting Hindu-Buddhist and Islamic influences from India and the Middle East have transformed and continue to complicate Malay cultural politics in 21st century musical practices. Joe Kinzer received his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Washingto…

1
Locking Horns With the Khmer Rouge 30:50

1+ y ago30:50

30:50

A conversation with tribunal witness Rob Hamill. Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal is all but over. The final appeal in the genocide case against the regime's former head of state Khieu Samphan has been dismissed and legislation passed to wind up the legalities and consign volumes of evidence to the history books.For many of Pol Pot’s victims, the ti…

1
Between the Lines: Identity and Belonging in the Thai Translation of Letter for Black Lives 56:58

1+ y ago56:58

56:58

This podcast Dr Jones speaks with Drs Kanjana Thepboriruk and Laura Vilardell and examine the ways in which the team of volunteer Thai language translators navigated their own identities, the collaborative translation process, and the linguistic and cultural challenges of producing the 2020 Thai Letters for Black Lives. Thai was one of fifty-two la…

1
Rebuilding Cambodia and Leaving 32:32

1+ y ago32:32

32:32

A conversation with Margaret Bywater. Margaret Bywater has been a prominent figure in Cambodian civil society for more than three decades, working with refugees and helping to rebuild the education sector, primarily through libraries and the establishment of information services.During the 1980s she toured refugee camps in Malaysia, Thailand, and H…

1
Chinese Diplomacy in the Malay Archipelago 55:25

1+ y ago55:25

55:25

In this episode, Drs Jones and J. Casey Hammond discuss China and their 5g network and tensions with Huawei and the United States.J. Casey Hammond is a China and Southeast Asian affairs analyst, university lecturer, and independent researcher. He received his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MCP in Economic Developmen…

1
Screaming for Mercy, All Along the Mekong 33:26

1+ y ago33:26

33:26

A conversation with the veteran British journalist and filmmaker Tom Fawthrop. British journalist and filmmaker Tom Fawthrop has delivered his latest documentary on the plight of the Mekong River amid ongoing dam construction, climate change, and a drought that appears to have ended with this year’s heavy rains."A River Screams for Mercy: Murdering…

1
Three Southeast Asian Summits in a Redefined World 29:26

2y ago29:26

29:26

Bradley Murg discusses the recent ASEAN, G-20, and APEC conclaves. Southeast Asia recently played host to an unprecedented group of summits that firmly put the West and its U.S.-led foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific on the front foot.Bradley Murg, distinguished senior research fellow at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, speaks wit…

1
Tou SaiKo Lee: The Hmong American Experience 1:05:17

2y ago1:05:17

1:05:17

In this episode, Drs Kanjana and Jones talk to Hmong hip hop sensation Tou SaiKo Lee about his experience as a Hmong American reclaiming and uniting the old and new in his culture through hip hop.Today Tou SaiKo is an intergenerational bridge builder, worldwide teaching artist, cultural revitalizer, cultural innovator and catalyst for movement.He w…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Mekong Region Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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