Go offline with the Player FM app!
S1E77: An insider's view of the magnitude of the Myanmar crisis: Asian Insider Ep 78
Manage episode 304975734 series 2424839
Asian Insider Ep 77: An insider's view of the magnitude of the Myanmar crisis
17:34 mins
Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents an Asian perspective of the week's global talking points with expert guests.
Myanmar's military, also known as the Tatmadaw, overthrew Myanmar's elected government in a coup on Feb 1. It was met with widespread mass protests. Since then, the country's economy has crashed. Myanmar's currency - the kyat - has plunged badly driving up food and fuel prices.
In this episode, Nirmal Ghosh hosts Andrew Kirkwood, acting interim UN resident coordinator/humanitarian coordinator for Myanmar in Naypyidaw, on the current humanitarian situation inside Myanmar.
They discuss the following points:
- Why nearly half the population is now living below the poverty line, an estimate not seen in over 20 years (3:57)
- Which regions need critical emergency assistance (5:07)
- Why more humanitarian funding assistance can still be put to good use and what the international and donor community should know about the situation (8:11)
- Has there been no real addressing of Myanmar's economic growth and underlying structural issues, even before this year's coup? (10:00)
- In a largely agrarian economy, this translates to farmers squeezed by a doubling in transportation costs, thousands of female garment workers losing jobs, with construction at a standstill, and restaurants mostly closed (11:46)
- Mr Kirkwood's instincts about the future direction of Myanmar, after having lived there for the past 20 years (15:09)
Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg) and Ernest Luis
Edited by: Fa'izah Sani and Hadyu Rahim
Subscribe to the Asian Insider Podcast channel and rate us on your favourite audio apps:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/Ju4h
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on Twitter: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's stories: https://str.sg/JbxG
Asian Insider newsletter: https://www.straitstimes.com/tags/asian-insider
Asian Insider videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnK3VE4BKduMSOntUoS6ALNp21jMmgfBX
---
Discover more ST podcast series:
Asian Insider Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa7
Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf
Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN
ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE
Life Weekend Picks Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa2
#PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad
Bookmark This! Podcast: https://str.sg/JWas
Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ
Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
468 episodes
Manage episode 304975734 series 2424839
Asian Insider Ep 77: An insider's view of the magnitude of the Myanmar crisis
17:34 mins
Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents an Asian perspective of the week's global talking points with expert guests.
Myanmar's military, also known as the Tatmadaw, overthrew Myanmar's elected government in a coup on Feb 1. It was met with widespread mass protests. Since then, the country's economy has crashed. Myanmar's currency - the kyat - has plunged badly driving up food and fuel prices.
In this episode, Nirmal Ghosh hosts Andrew Kirkwood, acting interim UN resident coordinator/humanitarian coordinator for Myanmar in Naypyidaw, on the current humanitarian situation inside Myanmar.
They discuss the following points:
- Why nearly half the population is now living below the poverty line, an estimate not seen in over 20 years (3:57)
- Which regions need critical emergency assistance (5:07)
- Why more humanitarian funding assistance can still be put to good use and what the international and donor community should know about the situation (8:11)
- Has there been no real addressing of Myanmar's economic growth and underlying structural issues, even before this year's coup? (10:00)
- In a largely agrarian economy, this translates to farmers squeezed by a doubling in transportation costs, thousands of female garment workers losing jobs, with construction at a standstill, and restaurants mostly closed (11:46)
- Mr Kirkwood's instincts about the future direction of Myanmar, after having lived there for the past 20 years (15:09)
Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg) and Ernest Luis
Edited by: Fa'izah Sani and Hadyu Rahim
Subscribe to the Asian Insider Podcast channel and rate us on your favourite audio apps:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/Ju4h
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on Twitter: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's stories: https://str.sg/JbxG
Asian Insider newsletter: https://www.straitstimes.com/tags/asian-insider
Asian Insider videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnK3VE4BKduMSOntUoS6ALNp21jMmgfBX
---
Discover more ST podcast series:
Asian Insider Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa7
Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf
Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN
ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE
Life Weekend Picks Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa2
#PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad
Bookmark This! Podcast: https://str.sg/JWas
Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ
Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#STAsianInsider
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
468 episodes
All episodes
×Welcome to Player FM!
Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.