On Monday morning (July 25, 2022), Myanmar’s military junta released the news that they executed four political prisoners who were leaders in the movement for democracy. Social media went into over-drive expressing outrage, sorrow, and defiance against the military junta. Domestically and internationally, communities swiftly condemned the unjust execution of the democracy movement leaders.
Dr. Miemie Byrd appeared as a subject matter expert on the Democratic Voice of Burma, a non-profit media organization based in Oslo, Norway, and Chiang Mai, Thailand.*
Dr. Miemie Winn Byrd has a new article in the Journal for Indo-Pacific Affairs titled: "Myanmar’s U-turn: Implications of the Military Coup on Strategic Competition in the Indo-Pacific. " The article discusses the current crisis in Myanmar and China’s response to it. According to the author, China views Myanmar as an important land bridge to the Indian Ocean and alternative to the Malacca Strait. Direct access to the Indian Ocean would give China an enormous commercial and geopolitical advantage over its competitors. In addition, as the last remaining democracy on mainland Southeast Asia, Myanmar is the front line for democracy [...]
Dr. Miemie Byrd’s latest article “Women on the Front Lines in Myanmar’s Fight for Democracy,” was published by the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, on Aug. 26. In this article, Byrd illustrates how the coup staged in Myanmar led to a brutal military crackdown, particularly against women. She states “The very first fatality of the military’s ruthless suppression was a 19-year-old woman named Mya Thwet Khine. A sniper fatally shot her in the head while she participated in a rally near Nay Pyi Taw, the country’s capital city. Since her death, many more female protesters have been killed, arrested, and assaulted [...]
