Elisabeth Olivius discusses Myanmar in new podcast episode

Tezhib has released the fourth episode of its podcast series, In the Now. Senior managerial editor Hamza Raza sat down with Varieties of Peace founding member Elisabeth Olivius to discuss the ongoing political turmoil in Myanmar.

On February 1st, Myanmar's government came to an end when the military surrounded the parliament houses and detained the President, State Chancellor, cabinet ministers, and other civilian officials. The reason behind the coup is what the military leadership alleges as fraudulent elections, an allegation that has been termed null and void by the Election Commission. The general public has strongly resisted this sudden shift. From banging pots and pans to openly coming out on streets and calling for freedom, the Burmese have indicated their support for the detained civilian leadership. Despite the violent crackdowns against the protestors, the popular resistance against the new rule has only grown. But why is Myanmar's military so powerful? What has the systemic exclusion of women from the country’s political representation to do with it? And how will the future of the Rohingya community unfold?

You can listen to the episode here.