S1E25: Why Myanmar is in a dark place

A conversation with the noted anthropologist and Andamans expert Vishvajit Pandya on the need to balance heritage, developmental and strategic interests as the Andaman and Nicobar islands become a geopolitical hotspot.

Synopsis:  Join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this episode, Ravi speaks with Prof Visvajit Pandya, an anthropologist who has researched tribes in the Andaman and Nicobar islands for four decades. 

They discuss the fate of the Shompen in Great Nicobar, a tribe of fewer than 600 people whose lives are likely to be upended by plans to build tourism resorts and a transhipment port as well as a naval base on the island. Dr Pandya, who has worked with the Shompen, makes a strong case for including their point of view in developmental plans for their island.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:12 India’s plans for the Great Nicobar

5:35 ‘Shy Shompens’ under threat

9:20 Strategic significance of the Andaman and Nicobar

13:15 Limited “carrying capacity” of the islands

16:30 Last of the ‘hostiles’ are Sentinelese

18:45 Port is like a ‘bad sewage system’

22:45 A right to make choices

Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

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Special edition series:

True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3 

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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Feeling peckish? Find out why Taiwan is mad about the “Kuai Kuai” brand of corn snacks. 

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. 

Taiwan is the world’s top manufacturer of semiconductors and advanced chips. But here is the super-chip that rules them all: a corn chip snack that is a favourite among Taiwan kids. 

Bags of it can be found atop laptops, ATM machines, printers all over the island, even in the offices of engineers in Hsinchu Science Park – home of the island’s semiconductor industry. 

In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with ST’s Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee about how these chips became the go-to lucky charms for Taiwan appliances, and the folk traditions and pseudoscience that continue to thrive in the technologically advanced society.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:00: Why Kuai Kuai corn chips are so popular in Taiwan

2:05: How they “bestow their magical powers” on appliances

4:28: TSMC, the world’s leading semiconductor company, has its own edition of Kuai Kuai chips

5:47: The propensity for Taiwanese to turn to such folk beliefs

8:29 The wrong use of Kuai Kuai chips was believed to have crashed Taiwan’s tax filing system in May 2017

Read Wai Yee’s article here: https://str.sg/6vYn

Produced by: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

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True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3 

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

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Hear why most Manipuris - of different ethnic groups - just want an end to militarisation and violence.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.

Manipur, in north-east India, is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state of 3.1 million people. In May 2023, violence exploded between the ethnic Meitei and Kuki people, leaving many dead. Ongoing ethnic violence has claimed many more than 200 lives and left tens of thousands displaced. 

Next door in Myanmar, the military regime has at best, tenuous control over its own borders given drug and other kinds of trafficking across the Myanmar-Manipur border. 

Most Manipuris - of different ethnic groups - just want an end to militarisation and violence, says Manipur native Binalaskshmi Nepram. The writer, democracy activist, Sean McBride Peace Prize recipient and founder of several local organisations working for disarmament and peace in Manipur and across the north-east, speaks with host Nirmal Ghosh.

They shine an insider’s light, on the complexities and the traumas of the troubled border state in a volatile region. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

1:33 Eruption of violence in Manipur the result of decades of neglect and discrimination, a criminal political nexus and violent extremism

4:58 War-within-a-war phenomenon: Manipur had about three to four armed groups in the 70s but that has grown to 60 today

8:09 Why the struggle in the north-east of India is also about identities

14:18 What is the future for children growing up in Manipur? 

16:45 India wants to build a fence along the border with Myanmar to curb trans-border crime and trafficking

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

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Special edition series:

True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3 

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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Former South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha also ponders the challenges posed by Kim Jong Un’s moves on missiles and Moscow, and Seoul’s ties with Japan. 

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this episode, Ravi speaks with Dr Kang Kyung-Wha, the incoming President and CEO of Asia Society. In 2017, she was the first woman to be appointed foreign minister of South Korea, holding the post until early 2021.

They discuss how she handled the Trump administration as foreign minister, the South’s position on nuclear deterrence vis a vis a provocative Pyongyang, and her plans for Asia Society.

Highlights (click/tap above):

4:38: The US is “certainly overextended”; will US interest in Asia survive a Trump return?

10:11 US-China tensions “will probably increase”

15:30 On North Korea: “War preparation is not the right interpretation”

22:36 Analysing the Kim Jong Un-Putin relationship; does South Korea intend to go nuclear?

30:30 On her experience on multilateral diplomacy

34:54 Will Asia Society open a China office?

Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:

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Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

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Special edition series:

True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3 

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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We transport you to Keran, which sits on the Line of Control - a ceasefire line dividing Kashmir into territories administered by India and Pakistan.

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. 

At a time when people-to-people links are practically non-existent between India and Pakistan, Keran is a rare place where greetings, waves and even smiles could be exchanged. A river, less than 100 metres wide, divides both sides. 

Keran, a tiny village of around 1,500, is nestled in a valley within the part of Kashmir that is administered by India. It is here that tourism has boomed in recent years. Visitors come - to stay in houses pockmarked by mortar fragments and to peep into the Pakistan-administered side of the land.

In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with ST’s India correspondent Debarshi Dasgupta, who also shares his personal history - of family members being torn asunder after the 1947 partition of South Asia.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:14 Why India is moving to promote border tourism

3:15 A beacon of hope but one single major terrorist attack in Kashmir can set this story back by many, many years

7:31 A deep and haunting sense of loss when families are torn apart after South Asia was carved up in 1947

13:25 Difficult questions remain: what are the steps that India and Pakistan are taking to heal this long festering bilateral wound? 

16:30 Other frontier towns to visit in India 

Produced by: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:

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Special edition series:

True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3 

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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They share their experiences trying to be a part of the discourse at Davos.

Synopsis: The Straits Times speaks with young delegates at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2024 to find out about their experience.

The WEF, held in Davos, Switzerland, brings together some of the biggest names in politics, business and economics from all over the world every year.

But it has been criticised for being nothing more than a public relations exercise, with a lack of accountability and fading relevance.

Some of the world’s most passionate and engaged young changemakers were in Davos this year. ST’s political correspondent Goh Yan Han speaks with some of them to hear how they tried to make their mark.

They are:

Benjamin Von Wong, Canadian artist and activist

John Dongo, Zimbabwean youth mental health advocate

Luona Cai, partner at Xishi Magic Bag, from China

Marie-Claire Graf, Swiss environmental activist

Daniel Liu, Singaporean co-founder of Morrow Intelligence

Saravanan Sugumaran, Singaporean co-founder of Morrow Intelligence

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:59 Thoughts on Davos and being at the WEF for the first time

11:05 Marie-Claire describes the beauty and the ugly at the WEF

14:14 Trying to be a part of the bigger conversation

25:22 How the WEF can be more relevant to young people

25:45 John Dongo on the need to talk about youth mental health at the WEF

Produced by: Goh Yan Han (gyanhan@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Amirul Karim

Edited by: Amirul Karim

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Read Goh Yan Han's articles: https://str.sg/kgq4

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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The sociological and political implications of the temple to the Hindu God Rama that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on Jan 22, 2024. 

Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this episode, Ravi speaks with the respected sociologist and head of Indian Century Roundtable Salvatore Babones, an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney.   

They discuss the consecration of the temple, its likely effect on voters in the coming election, unease felt by minority groups and talk by some elements in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party about a ‘Hindu Vatican’.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:11 Indian state endorsing religion; ‘secularism’ was added to the Constitution later

8:15 Why temple inauguration is unlikely to affect voters

14:00 Birth of a second Republic?

19:13 How minorities feel

21:47 Some Muslims do vote BJP, says Prof Babones

22:45 The Hindu ‘Vatican’?

Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:

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#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Special edition series:

True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3 

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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Find out why Myanmar is in a state of economic collapse with only one per cent growth in fiscal year 2023/24.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.

Military-driven policies and conflict have shrunk Myanmar’s formal economy, but its illicit economy - long a feature of its borderlands in particular - has been thriving. 

Myanmar's military regime is not entirely to be blamed for this tradition of transnational crime syndicates as many of the areas concerned have been controlled for decades by ethnic armies, which essentially make a living from the informal or illicit economy.  

To unravel the complexities of Myanmar’s crisis, Nirmal Ghosh hosts two guests in this episode.

First is Professor Sean Turnell, former economic advisor to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the former State Councillor, now in jail, who held office from 2016 until the military coup of February 2021.

Second is Dr Michael Vatikiotis, a veteran journalist, author and broadcaster who has been based in Asia for 35 years.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:33 Why is Myanmar's economy performing poorly?

3:38 Recently, there has been an unprecedented coalescing of ethnic armed organisations into effective alliances, different from historic fragmented resistance to the military in the past

7:00 Recent crackdowns by China’s proxies indicate the level of concern about Myanmar's transnational crime syndicates, as these prey especially on the Chinese

8:47 Can the military regime be completely blamed for this too? Many of the areas controlled by ethnic armies have essentially made a living from the informal or illicit economy

14:40 Tremendously deep, long lasting levels of mistrust between constituent elements; is the younger generation leading the revolution impressive?

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every fourth Friday of the month here:

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Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3 

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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One of them is the sauna boom. Find out why it is taking off in a country of hot springs.

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.

Japan is in transition - where younger Japanese are questioning the rules and strictures that traditionally govern their society. 

One manifestation of that is the increasing number of schools in both cities and rural parts that allow genderless uniforms, including for boys who want to wear skirts to schools.

Even the country’s exquisite cuisine is undergoing a revolution of sorts, with insects being introduced into the repertoire as Japan grapples with limited arable land. 

In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with Japan correspondent Walter Sim - who has been based in the country for eight years - about what other social changes and trends he sees will take place in 2024.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:05 What is behind the trend of genderless uniforms and what kind of reactions do schoolboys get when they wear skirts?

6:35 Japan is in a period of social change, but these are not yet translated into policy change

9:48 Subverting ideas about Japanese food: Cricket yakitori and ramen now on the menu

12:51 Three trends that will take off in 2024

Produced by: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:

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Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR 

Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x

Read Walter Sim's articles: https://str.sg/wHY2

Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd

Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

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Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3 

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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A conversation with a veteran economist, editor and geopolitical expert on the recently concluded election in Bangladesh. 

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this episode, Ravi speaks with the respected journalist and geopolitics expert Dr Sanjaya Baru.  

They discuss the recent election in Bangladesh, the country’s perceived democratic backsliding, and its economic performance under Prime Minister Hasina Wajed. They also talk about what it means for the wider Asian neighbourhood.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:25: ‘Exit clause’ needed for long-serving leaders

4:12: A question of legitimacy

7:00: The Bangladesh paradox

9:35: Balancing India and China

12:40 The Eastern India factor

14:10 What’s the military up to?

Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

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Special edition series:

True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3 

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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