Suzanne and Ruth are joined by Susanna Hla Hla Soe, the National Unity Government's Minister for Women, Youth and Children. A former student activist during the 1988 uprising, she has dedicated much of her career to advocating for the rights of women and children in Myanmar. She was elected minister for Karen ethnic affairs of Yangon in the 2020 general election, but was unable to assume her seat due to the coup in February 2021. She previously served as a member of Parliament of Myanmar from 2015-2020. Susanna has publicly apologised to ethnic minorities, including the Rohingya community, for her failure to speak out on their behalf and for ignoring their suffering during her five years as a member of the civilian-led government. Following the coup, she was forced to flee to the ethnic states when the military raided her home in Yangon. Here Susanna talks about her terrifying ordeal in evading military arrest, her decision to remain in Myanmar despite the risk to her life, the challenges she faces in carrying out her work in hiding, and her determination to serve her people, whatever the cost. 

The ah nah: Conversations with Myanmar podcast was born from a desire to bring into public consciousness the atrocities that are currently being committed in Myanmar (also known as Burma). Our goal is simply to keep the conversation going, and to let the people of Myanmar know that they have not been forgotten. You can continue to support the people of Myanmar by keeping this conversation going. You can subscribe to this podcast on all major podcasting apps, including Apple, Spotify and Acast. You can also follow us on all our social media pages, linked below. If you’d like to reach out, please email us or fill out this form to add your voice to the conversation (https://tinyurl.com/3ee7ssm9).

Credits:

Song: Kabar Makyay Bu (Until the End of the World), was written and recorded by Naing Myanmar, it became the revolutionary anthem of the 1988 pro-democracy movement and could be heard once again all over Myanmar during the 2021 Coup. Naing Myanmar maintains that the song is no longer his, since the '88 uprising “it belongs to everyone”.

Graphics: SelinaXin

Sound Effects: https://mixkit.co

*Special thanks to Susanna and her entire team who continue to carry out their work in the most difficult and challenging circumstances and are working tirelessly to ensure a fair and just Myanmar for everyone. We are so grateful to Susanna for adding her voice to the conversation.

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