Podcasts about Rakhine State

Episode #329: “How could this happen now?! I mean, are we part of the problem allowing Burma to slip to that ‘ninth layer of hell?'”These anguished words from longtime USAID official Chris Milligan reflect his heartbreak over the U.S. failure to adequately respond to Myanmar's devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Milligan, who helped reopen USAID's Myanmar mission in 2012, recalls building it from scratch as part of a broader U.S. strategy to support democratic and economic reforms without legitimizing the military regime.Regarding the landscape of development aid for Burma, he explains it is “a land of good intentions with unintended consequences," where uninformed international aid could easily do more harm than good. Still, his years there were deeply fulfilling. He saw rapid progress and strong partnerships, though he regrets being unable to help resolve the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State.Milligan underscores USAID's value—not just abroad, but at home—calling it essential for American interests, stability, trade, and global influence. He contrasts the U.S. model of development with China's state-centric approach, warning that American withdrawal leaves a dangerous vacuum. So he bemoans the Trump administration ‘s dismantling the core of the agency. USAID once led major disaster responses, but due to those massive program cuts, its Myanmar earthquake response resulted in snding just three people and $2 million. He fears that unless the U.S. re-engages, the long-term consequences will be dire.Milligan looks back very fondly on his time in the country, especially the warmth and generosity of its people. “That's why it was also inspiring,” he says. “It made you want to work harder to support them… because they saw a brighter future for themselves, and you wanted to help them get there.”Consider a donation to support our Earthquake Emergency Fund!

Episode #299: Greg Constantine's project on the Rohingya community is a profound exploration of both their suffering and resilience. Through years of dedicated storytelling, Greg has sought to shed light on the overlooked experiences of the Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority in Myanmar. Despite deep roots in Rakhine State, the Rohingya have faced systemic persecution for decades, culminating in the 1982 citizenship law that left them stateless and stripped of basic rights.Greg's work began in 2006, and he has since documented the ongoing oppression and humanity of the Rohingya people. He captures not only moments of suffering but also the ordinary lives and hopes of the community. In 2019, Greg curated an exhibition at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which shifted his approach to include a fuller narrative—showing not only the suffering but also the contributions of the Rohingya. This led to the project “Ek Khaale,” meaning “Once upon a time,” aimed at reclaiming the Rohingya narrative. The project gathered family photos, personal documents, and other artifacts to reveal the community's history and humanity.Launched as an online interactive experience, “Ek Khaale” presents the Rohingya's story through nine chapters, highlighting cultural heritage, contributions during World War II, and their resilience despite systemic violence. Greg's work challenges the perception of the Rohingya as passive victims, instead presenting them as a community with a rich culture, deep connections, and a history of contributions. Ultimately, his work aims to restore dignity to the Rohingya and humanize a community often reduced to mere statistics. "The reason why I kept going back to that story is because if I thought about almost like all the different characteristics that make up this theme of statelessness... I don't think that there was any other community that had been so incredibly paralyzed by all of those different characteristics than the Rohingya community. It was a perfect storm."

It's Thursday, November 14th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Myanmar's persecution of Christians The military regime of Myanmar continues its persecution of Christians. Authorities imposed new restrictions in the capital of Rakhine State. Churches cannot display crosses. They must also submit membership lists to police and get authorization to hold services. One local Christian told the Myanmar Pressphoto Agency, “Last month, we installed a cross, a symbol of our faith, as a way to identify the Christian church here, but the police came and demanded it be removed. We prayed before putting it up, so we refused to take it down ourselves, and instead asked them to do it on their own.”  The southeast Asian nation is ranked 17th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of countries where it most difficult to be a Christian.  Slovakia's March for Life draws 40,000 This past September, nearly 40,000 people participated in the fourth March for Life in Slovakia, reports LifeSiteNews. The slogan of the march in the Eastern European nation was “Love is pro-life.”  Jozef Miklosko, the country's Commissioner for Children, addressed the crowd, saying it's his job to stand up for children, born or unborn. Abortion is currently legal up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, the abortion kill pill is not legal. Slovakia also voted to reject a resolution by the European Parliament to make abortion a so-called right.  Trump nominates Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy to lead Dept. of Government Efficiency In the United States, President-elect Donald Trump announced tech billionaire Elon Musk and conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new Department of Government Efficiency.  Trump said in a statement, “Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies.”  Musk said the department's actions “will be posted online for maximum transparency. We will also have a leaderboard for [the] most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars. This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining.” In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” Trump picks Matt Gaetz as Attorney General Trump also tapped Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida to be his Attorney General, reports CBS News.  Trump praised him as a "tenacious attorney" who will "end weaponized government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations and restore Americans' badly shattered faith and confidence in the Justice Department." Gaetz immediately resigned from Congress. Trump picked Fox News host & veteran Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary President-elect Trump also surprised many by picking Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense, reports Fox News. Trump wrote, “Pete has spent his entire life as a warrior for the troops, and for the country. Pete is tough, smart, and a true believer in America First."  Hegseth, age 44, an Army National Guard veteran who served tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, has hosted the FOX Nation "Patriot Awards" since 2019, which is the network's version of a Hollywood awards show honoring heroes like first responders.  Take a look at the winners of the 2023 Patriot Awards through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. Court: Blue Cross to pay $12 million for firing over COVID shot A former employee of Blue Cross Blue Shield won a $12 million settlement last Friday in a religious liberty case. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan fired Lisa Domski in 2021 after she sought a religious exemption for the COVID-19 shot. The insurance company denied her request, calling into question her objections as a Catholic.  Her attorney, Jon Marko, said, “Lisa refused to renounce her faith and beliefs and was wrongfully terminated from the only job she had ever known. The jury's verdict today tells [Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan] that religious discrimination has no place in America and affirms each person's right to religious freedom.” Judge blocks Ten Commandments at schools On Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked a Louisiana law that requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled the law is “unconstitutional on its face.”  Louisiana's Attorney General Liz Murrill said she would appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. She said, “This law, I believe, is constitutional . . . you don't have to like the posters. The point is you can make posters that comply with the Constitution.” In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, God said, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children … You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Trump won 56% of the Christian vote And finally, Dr. George Barna released a report on the Christian vote in this year's presidential election. The report found self-identified Christians made up 72% of the voters who turned out, and Trump won 56% of the Christian vote. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris won 60% of the non-Christian vote. The study noted, “not only did most of President Trump's votes come from Christians, but they gave him a 17-million-vote cushion over Mrs. Harris, which proved to be an insurmountable lead. The incumbent Vice President fared much better among people associated with non-Christian faiths and with no religious faith, but those segments represented too small a slice of the voting population to make her bid for the White House viable.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, November 14th, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). And now, here to close the newscast, is my daughter, Mercy Geneva, who is turning 13 today. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Episode #279: “Having internet or having information is life and death in those areas If you have internet you can at least know if the airplanes are coming, if the battles are becoming intensive in the areas that you live. But without that you don't know anything! You cannot run away from air strike, you cannot run away if the airplane is over your head; there's very little chance that you survive.” Bradley delves deeply into the complexities of internet usage and surveillance in Myanmar. He begins by sharing a historical overview, noting the internet's relatively recent arrival in Myanmar compared to other countries. He discusses the exorbitant costs of SIM cards before the 2012 telecom revolution when mobile internet became widely available, transforming life in the country. This sudden access to the digital world, as Bradley explains, shook Burmese society, creating both opportunities and risks.The conversation explores the regime's efforts to control and restrict internet access, especially after the 2021 coup, highlighting the frequent use of internet shutdowns as a tool of oppression. As Bradley notes, these shutdowns represent the cyber evolution of the military's notorious “four-cuts” strategy, where cutting off communication to and from “the enemy” is standard practice. However, the military's definition of “enemy” extends far beyond armed resistance groups to include civilians who are sympathetic to the opposition or hostile to dictatorial rule. The Rakhine State internet shutdown, which became one of the longest in the world, is cited as an example of the junta's strategy to suppress ethnic communities and protests. Bradley points out how these shutdowns, combined with surveillance, create severe isolation for affected communities, exacerbating social, economic, and educational divides.Bradley also touches on the resilience of the Burmese people, particularly youth activists, who have leveraged technology for resistance. Despite the challenges, these young people—digital natives—have used platforms like Signal for secure communication and coordination. Creative campaigns, such as PDF games and donation initiatives, illustrate how the resistance adapts in innovative ways. However, the regime's growing sophistication in digital repression, with support from foreign powers like Russia, continues to pose significant threats. This ongoing battle between oppression and resistance defines Myanmar's current digital landscape, a struggle that will influence the country's future.

Unveiling the Crisis: Civilians, Arson, and Unlawful Recruitment in Myanmar's Rakhine State by Radio Islam

Episode #249: Nathan Ruser, a geospatial analyst focusing on human rights, sheds light on a deeply troubling situation unfolding in Myanmar's Rakhine State. Ruser has meticulously detailed the actions of the Arakan Army (AA), revealing a pattern of arson attacks targeting Rohingya villages. These attacks, which spanned from late April to May 2024, have displaced tens of thousands and razed numerous communities to the ground.Ruser's insights highlight the complex interplay of military strategy and ethnic tensions. He explained that while the Myanmar junta has historically used divide-and-conquer tactics to destabilize regions, the AA's recent actions appear to be both retaliatory and strategically targeted. Despite their public denial, satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts suggest a coordinated effort to burn Rohingya settlements following the capture of military positions.“To say to the Arakan Army that if you want to be part of a future democratic federalized Burma, this is unacceptable! And to hope that despite the nationalistic take that the Arakan Army's had, and their clearly nationalistic bent, [I would] like to think that they would rather play a role in a future federalized Burma then act as a pariah state sandwiched between India and Burma. And in their statements, that they have shown as much willingness to align themselves with the national resistance, [which] does show that they would prefer a role in a future without the military. What they said and what they do is a different matter, and they've quite explicitly said that they are only looking for autonomy within a federalized Myanmar. They're not looking for independence.”

A United Kingdom-based rights group has called for global action over what it called an “intensifying genocide” against Myanmar's mostly Muslim Rohingya minority as fighting between the Southeast Asian country's military and a powerful ethnic armed group escalated in the western Rakhine State.

Content warning for discussion of genocide, torture, mutilation, rape, and slavery Hey, Hi, Hello, this is the History Wizard and welcome back for Day 16 of Have a Day w/ The History Wizard. Thank you to everyone who tuned in for Day 15 last week, and especially thank you to everyone who rated and/or reviewed the podcast. I hope you all learned something last week and I hope the same for this week. This week marks the 7th part of our mini series of currently ongoing genocides and humanitarian crises. Episode 2 was on Palestine, Episode 11 was on Congo, episode 12 was on Sudan, episode 13 was on Xinjiang, episode 14 was on Rakhine State, episode 15 was on Tigray, and today's episode will focus on the current situation in Haiti. Today's trip to the Alchemist's Table will look somewhat similar to last weeks. This drink is called Persephone's Wedding. It starts with muddled mint before adding some lavender simple syrup and 2 oz of gin. Strain all that over ice and stir for about 30 seconds before topping with lemonade and garnishing with mint. Starting in 1492 Haiti became one of the first European colonies following Columbus's first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean with the settlement at La Navidad. Haiti would remain under European control until their revolution that ended in 1804. We're glossing pretty heavily over the Haitian Revolution in today's episode because the Haitian Revolution and the subsequent Haitian Massacre will be a later episode on this podcast. Now, just because Haiti was now an independent nation and no longer a French colony didn't mean that the country was free of European influence or control. Spain, Germany, and Britain still had large amounts of economic and political sway in the island nation. This would especially be the case when US President Woodrow Wilson, that racist movie loving fuck, sent the Marines to occupy Port au-Prince. Germany was also heavily invested in the island nation, and while the US wasn't in World War 1 yet, they had severe anxieties over an anti-American, and pro-German, president being installed so they took over the nation, overthrew Vilbrun Guillaume Sam, the then president of Haiti. The Marines declared martial law and severely censored the press. Within weeks, a new pro-U.S. Haitian president, Philippe Sudré Dartiguenave, was installed and a new constitution written that was favorable to the interests of the United States. The constitution (written by future US President Franklin D. Roosevelt) included a clause that allowed, for the first time, foreign ownership of land in Haiti, which was bitterly opposed by the Haitian legislature and citizenry. The US would keep a firm grip on Haitian politics, even after their occupation ended in 1934. Haiti would now enter an even greater period of political instability (which is not to say that US occupation was a good thing, an end of colonial occupation often sees old ethnic tensions flare up and massive violence enacted to dismantle colonial power structures). The president at the end of the occupation, Sténio Vincent was forced to step down under US pressure in 1941 and was replaced by Élie Lescot who served until 1946 when he was overthrown in a military coup d'etat and replaced by Dumarsais Estimé until 1950 when HE was overthrown in a military coup and replaced by the staunchly anti-communist Paul Magloire who was strongly supported by the US. Now despite the massive amounts of political instability that we just discussed, it is about to get worse with the Duvalier dynasty.  In 1956–57 Haiti underwent severe political turmoil; Magloire was forced to resign and leave the country in 1956 and he was followed by four short-lived presidencies. In the September 1957 election François Duvalier was elected President of Haiti. Known as 'Papa Doc' and initially popular, Duvalier remained President until his death in 1971. He advanced black interests in the public sector, where over time, people of color had predominated as the educated urban elite. Not trusting the army, despite his frequent purges of officers deemed disloyal, Duvalier created a private militia known as Tontons Macoutes ("Bogeymen"), which maintained order by terrorizing the populace and political opponents. In 1964 Duvalier proclaimed himself 'President for Life'; an uprising against his rule that year in Jérémie was violently suppressed, with the ringleaders publicly executed and hundreds of mixed-raced citizens in the town killed. The bulk of the educated and professional class began leaving the country, and corruption became widespread. Duvalier sought to create a personality cult, identifying himself with Baron Samedi, one of the loa (or lwa), or spirits, of Haitian Vodou. Despite the well-publicized abuses under his rule, Duvalier's firm anti-Communism earned him the support of the Americans, who furnished the country with aid. This is something you will find about the United States. While they style themselves the land of the free and the home of the brave they're more than willing to finance and support dictators as long as they 1. Oppose communism and 2. Give the US a free hand to control their economy. So it didn't matter to the “Greatest Country on Earth” is Papa Doc was killing mixed race people and all of his political opponents. He was anti-communist and that was good enough. Now there WAS a coup attempt against Duvalier in the first year of his reign (the first of many) led by some of the military officials he had fired. Those men thought that they could come riding back in and that the people, fed up of Papa Doc's growing autocratic tendencies, would rally to them and they would quickly restore the old social order. But Haiti had gone through 4 presidents the year before Papa Doc came into office and while he wasn't the best loved president, he was considered competent (having previous served as Minister of Health) and he was bringing order and stability to the country. So the coup attempters.. There's got to be a better way of saying that, were all killed and their bodies dragged through the streets of Port au-Prince, as if each citizen was a little Achilles dragging Hector around the walls of Troy. Papa Doc, despite the multiple coup attempts, did reign as president for life. He was still President when he died in 1971 and was immediately replaced by his son Jean-Claude Duvalier, nicknamed Baby Doc. Baby Doc assumed the “presidency” at the age of 19, making him the youngest president in world history. Jean-Claude tried to reign back some of the harsher policies of his father, but was still deposed in a popular uprising in 1986 and forced to step down and flee the country. Haiti would then fall under the rule of its military for a brief time and then had a series of bad elections and even more coups. There was a coup in June of 1988, another in September of 1988, and a third one in September of 1991. The US would send troops in under Operation Uphold Democracy to try and bring some stability to Haiti. Though, as is always the case when the US tries to bring free market reforms and “democracy” to a country they did a shitty job of it.  Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had been elected president in 1990 and had been deposed in the 1991 coup returned to finish out his term, lost in 1995, but was reelected again in the year 2000. He would then be deposed AGAIN in 2004 in another coup d'etat.  One of Aristide's worst decisions while in office was when he outlawed pro-Duvalier militias like the Macoute, but he also ordered the disbandment of the Haitian Army. So the Army disbanded, but never disarmed and just would up forming or joining various militia groups. From 1994 to 2004, a de facto anti-Arisitide insurgency took place in Port-au-Prince, as ex-soldiers attacked the government. In response to the chaos, youth set up self-defense groups, called chimères, which were supported by the police and the government to shore up its position. Receiving de facto state support from Aristide's Fanmi Lavalas party, the youth gangs took control of entire communes and became increasingly independent-minded. U.S. diplomat Daniel Lewis Foote argued, "Aristide started [the gangs] on purpose in the early 1980s, as a voice, as a way to get some power [for ordinary Hatians], [...] and they morphed over the years." Now, the precise nature of the events of the 2004 coup are disputed; some, including Aristide and his bodyguard, Franz Gabriel, stated that he was the victim of a "new coup d'état or modern kidnapping" by U.S. forces. These charges were denied by the US government. As political violence and crime continued to grow, a United Nations Stabilisation Mission (MINUSTAH) was brought in to maintain order. However, MINUSTAH proved controversial, since their periodically heavy-handed approach to maintaining law and order and several instances of abuses, including the alleged sexual abuse of civilians, provoked resentment and distrust among ordinary Haitians. So now Haiti has no standing army, armed militias and gangs fighting on and off in the streets, an UN peacekeeping mission sexually abusing civilians and they're about to be hit with a Magnitude 7 earthquake. On 12 January 2010, at 4:53 pm local time, Haiti was struck by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake. This was the country's most severe earthquake in over 200 years. The earthquake was reported to have left between 160,000 and 300,000 people dead and up to 1.6 million homeless, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded. It is also one of the deadliest earthquakes ever recorded. The situation was exacerbated by a subsequent massive cholera outbreak that was triggered when cholera-infected waste from a United Nations peacekeeping station contaminated the country's main river, the Artibonite. In 2017, it was reported that roughly 10,000 Haitians had died and nearly a million had been made ill. After years of denial, the United Nations apologized in 2016, but as of 2017, they have refused to acknowledge fault, thus avoiding financial responsibility. And now, we're at the Haitian Gang War. The Vox journalist Ellen Ioanes summarized the beginnings of the situation quite well: "Haiti has faced serious and compounding crises, including a devastating 2010 earthquake, floods, cholera outbreaks, hurricanes, and corrupt, dictatorial, and incompetent leaders". Gangs stepped into the power vacuum, seizing political power through co-operative politicians and economic control through protection rackets, kidnappings and murders. As of 2022 researchers form the NGO Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime have estimated that there are some 200 gangs in Haiti and that most of them are set up somewhere in Port au-Prince. Sexual violence from members of these gangs is a common crime being committed nearly daily against people from rival gang territories. Rape only became a crime in Haiti in 2005 and abortion is still illegal, so rape victims are legally required to keep those children. Though as we know, making abortion illegal doesn't stop abortions, it just stops safe ones. One of the most powerful gangs in Haiti at this time is, technically, an alliance of gangs, called the G9 alliance is lead by a former police officer named Jimmy Chérizier, nicknamed Barbecue. G9 is based in the capital's communes of Delmas, Pétion-Ville and parts of Carrefour. The G9 alliance includes many former soldiers and policemen in its ranks and was long connected to the PHTK party (which is a Center-Right political party) until distancing itself after Ariel Henry became president. The G9 now portrays itself as a revolutionary organization, and has begun to create a nation-wide alliance network dubbed "G20". Since the coalition was founded, it has been responsible for multiple massacres against civilians and clashes with other rival gangs. From 2020 to 2021, the G9 was responsible for a dozen massacres, in which at least 200 people were killed. The G9 was believed to have had close ties to the government of Moïse, which was accused of large-scale corruption. The coalition members frequently evaded prosecution after the massacres and the clashes. Chérizier stood out in that regard because despite the arrest warrants against him, he continued to move freely and to maintain an active presence on social media with no effective attempts by Haitian government forces to arrest him. The G9 also began attacking neighborhoods in which civilians protested against the president and started clashes against rival gangs with the support of the police. Now, in 2021 Jovenel Moïse, the 43rd president of Haiti was assassinated and then Ariel Henry (who some suspect to be involved in the assassination) served as acting Prime Minister of the country until he stepped down this past April. Henry's removal from power was long sought by the G9 gang alliance. Cherizier had this to say on the issue in March 2024 "If Ariel Henry doesn't resign, if the international community continues to support him, we'll be heading straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide"  "Either Haiti becomes a paradise or a hell for all of us. It's out of the question for a small group of rich people living in big hotels to decide the fate of people living in working-class neighborhoods," he added. Now, while there are over 200 gangs in Haiti at the moment most of them have allied themselves with the G9 alliance, or with the gang alliance that popped up to oppose the G9, known as G-Pep. But also, as of late 2022 an anti-gang bwa kale vigilante movement emerged to attack and kill any gang members. The vigilantes often burned captured gang members alive. Of course, the gangs responded with counter attacks against both the vigilantes and anyone who expressed support of the vigilanties. By mid-2023, the gang war between G9 and G-Pep continued unabated, and the resistance by anti-gang vigilantes also grew in scope. Thousands of people were displaced by the clashes. The severity of the ongoing gang war in Haiti has led to the United Nations Security Council authorizing a one-year deployment of an international force led by Kenya to help the Haitian government deal with the crisis. Chérizier declared that G9 would resist if an international intervention force committed "human rights abuses" and claimed that it would "be a fight of the Haitian people to save the dignity of our country." Despite the horrors he is committing against his own people Cherizier really and truly believes that he is fighting on behalf of a free Haiti. There isn't a genocide in Haiti, as of yet, but there is a massive civil war between militias and gangs with human rights abuses on all sides of this conflict. On 18 June 2024, the International Organization for Migration reported that more than 580,000 people have been displaced by the increased violence in Haiti since March of 2024. The report also warned that since most of the people displaced have been from communities already struggling with poor social conditions, there may be more tension and violence in the coming days. An international policing force, known as Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti was authorized under UN Resolution 2699 on October 2, 2023 to assist the Haitian National Police in stopping this gang war. Nations who will be taking place in this mission include Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, Guyana, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Kenya, Suriname, and the Bahamas. The first deployment of 400 troops from Kenya has officially put boots on the ground as of June 25, 2024.  This ongoing gang war will not be resolved anytime soon and it can, and will, get worse before it gets better. Haiti has never had a chance to build a stable society or government. A long and ongoing history of foreign interference, ceaseless coups and natural disasters mean that Haiti has always been on the back foot. We also have to take into account Haiti's natural resources, because that's the only reason any imperial power would ever care about Haiti. According to WorldAtlas.com, recent findings suggest that Haiti might have some of the largest oil reserves in the world, potentially larger than those of Venezuela. The country is estimated to be sitting on about 159 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 142 million barrels of oil, with undiscovered reserves possibly holding up to 941 million barrels of crude oil and about 1.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. According the the State Department the US doesn't currently have plans to send troops to Haiti. I'm sure that will change. That's it for this week folks. No new reviews, so let's get right into the outro. Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard is brought to you by me, The History Wizard. If you want to see/hear more of me you can find me on Tiktok @thehistorywizard or on Instagram @the_history_wizard. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Have a Day! On your pod catcher of choice. The more you do, the more people will be able to listen and learn along with you. Thank you  for sticking around until the end and, as always, Have a Day, and Free Haiti.      

Content warning for discussion of genocide, torture, mutilation, rape, and slavery Hey, Hi, Hello, this is the History Wizard and welcome back for Day 15 of Have a Day w/ The History Wizard. Thank you to everyone who tuned in for Day 14 last week, and especially thank you to everyone who rated and/or reviewed the podcast. I hope you all learned something last week and I hope the same for this week. This week marks the 6th part of our mini series of currently ongoing genocides and humanitarian crises. Episode 2 was on Palestine, Episode 11 was on Congo, episode 12 was on Sudan, episode 13 was on Xinjiang, episode 14 was on Rakhine State, and today's episode will cover the genocide that is ongoing in Tigray in Ethiopia. Let's see what the Alchemist's Table has in store for us this time. Today's libation is called Memories of Summer. Muddle some mint and strawberries in the bottom of your shaker, add .5 oz of simple syrup, 2 oz of gunpowder gin, stir well for about 30 seconds before double straining over ice and topping with lemonade. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and enjoy. Now it's time for everyone's favorite part, it's time for the historical context. Tigray is both the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia, as well as an ethnicity. Tigray is known as the birthplace of Ethiopian civilization and their motto is “There is no mountain we would not climb.” That's fucking badass. When the Scramble for Africa began at the end of the 19th century CE barely 10% of africa was under EUropean colonial control, and by the time World War 1 broke out more than 90% of the country had been colonized, with only Liberia and Ethiopia remaining free states. While Ethiopia remained under its own sovereign control, this was in large part because they willingly allied themselves with Great Britain. In fact many Ethiopian troops fought on the side of Britain during the Mahdist War in Sudan that we discussed on Day 12. Part of Ethiopia's independence also came from their alliances with Italy. King Menelik II of Ethiopia signed the Treaty of Wuchale with Italy in 1889. This treaty guaranteed Ethiopian sovereignty as long as Italy could control areas north of Ethiopia's currently held territory (in areas that are now the nation of Eritrea) and in return Ethiopia would receive arms and munitions and Menelik would have Italian support as emperor. Menelik would remain emperor from 1889 until his death in 1913. Though, it is worth noting that Etiopia was only able to maintain its sovereignty because of their victory during the Italo-Ethiopian War that ran from January 1895 until October 1896. The beginning of Menelik's rule was marked by severe tragedy though as it coincided with the 1890s African rinderpest epizootic. Which is a very fancy way of saying that disease killed 90% of Ethiopia's cattle and that this, combined with a drought caused by reduced rainfall killed about 1/3rd of the country's population. The virus, known as Rinderpest, is potentially thought to have been introduced into Eritrea in 1887 by Indian cattle brought by the Italians for their campaign against Somalia. Lack of rainfall from as early as 16 November 1888 led to famine in all but southernmost provinces; locusts and caterpillar infestations destroy crops in Akele Guzay, Begemder, Shewa, and around Harar. Conditions worsened with a typhus epidemic, a major smallpox epidemic (1889–90), and cholera outbreaks (1889–92). Making the beginning of Melenik's rule really fucking bad. Near the end of his life Melenik was filled with with concern over issues of succession. He hadn't yet picked an heir and if he died without one his nation would descend into civil war and would become ripe for the picking for European colonial powers. He would eventually settle on one of his grandchildren Lij Iyasu, as his heir. Iyasu would only reign for about 3 years before being deposed on charges of converting to Islam. Ethiopia had been a Christian kingdom since King Ezana of the Aksumite Empire adopted Christianity as the official religion in the 4th century CE. There's no definitive proof that Iyasu converted to Islam at any point in his life, but there was enough “proof” that everyone felt comfortable stipping him of authority and giving it to Haile Selassie. He served as the Regent for Empress Zedwditu from 1916 until her death in 1930, and after her death served as Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 until he was deposed in 1974 by the Derg following the 1973 oil crisis. Derg or Dergue is Amharic (a Semitic language descended from Ge'ez, which is the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It translates as committee or council. Now, Ethiopia would fall under partial Italian control during the 1930s as part of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War between Fascist Italy and Ethiopia, and while Italy would have some successes during this war, they'd never attain full control over Ethiopia, making Ethiopia the only African nation to not ever fall under colonial control. Some would argue that Liberia would fall under that umbrella as well, but considering that Liberia, as a nation, was artificially created by the US as a place for freed slaves to return to, I don't think it qualifies. Haile Selassie as the emperor of Ethiopia would be one of the founding members of the United Nations. Haile Selassie's rule ended on 12 September 1974, when he was deposed by the Derg, a committee made up of military and police officers. After the execution of 60 former government and military officials, the new Provisional Military Administrative Council abolished the monarchy in March 1975 and established Ethiopia as a Marxist-Leninist state. The abolition of feudalism, increased literacy, nationalization, and sweeping land reform including the resettlement and villagization from the Ethiopian Highlands became priorities. Mengistu Haile Mariam would become the ruler of Ethiopia following the fall of Haile Selassie until in May 1991, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) forces advanced on Addis Ababa from all sides, and Mengistu fled the country with 50 family and Derg members. He was granted asylum in Zimbabwe as an official guest of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Now the period of Derg rule is also known as the Ethiopian Civil War. It lasted from 1974 until 1991. The Derg in its attempt to introduce full-fledged socialist ideals, fulfilled its main slogan of "Land to the Tiller", by redistributing land in Ethiopia that once belonged to landlords to the peasants tilling the land. Although this was made to seem like a fair and just redistribution, the mismanagement, corruption, and general hostility to the Derg's violent and harsh rule coupled with the draining effects of constant warfare, separatist guerrilla movements in Eritrea and Tigray, resulted in a drastic decline in general productivity of food and cash crops. Although Ethiopia is often prone to chronic droughts, no one was prepared for the scale of drought and the 1983–1985 famine that struck the country in the mid-1980s, in which 400,000–590,000 people are estimated to have died.  Hundreds of thousands fled economic misery, conscription and political repression, and went to live in neighboring countries and all over the Western world, creating an Ethiopian diaspora community for the first time in its history. Insurrections against the Derg's rule sprang up with ferocity, particularly in the northern regions of Tigray and Eritrea which sought independence and in some regions in the Ogaden. The Ethiopian Civil War left at least 1.4 million people dead, with 1 million related to famine and the remainder from violence and conflicts, which is one third of population.  In July 1991, the EPRDF convened a National Conference to establish the Transitional Government of Ethiopia composed of an 87-member Council of Representatives and guided by a national charter that functioned as a transitional constitution. In 1994, a new constitution was written that established a parliamentary republic with a bicameral legislature and a judicial system. Mengistu's authoritarian military regime faced organized opposition for all of its fourteen years of rule. Opposition groups including the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP), a rival Marxist–Leninist group, and the Tigray-based Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, a coalition of ethnic democratic forces, led armed resistance to the Derg in a conflict known as the Ethiopian Civil War. The Derg used violence, commonly enacted through military campaigns, to suppress dissidents. In 1976, the Derg instigated the Qey Shibir (Ethiopian Red Terror), a violent political repression campaign targeting the EPRP.  Under Mengistu's leadership, the Derg did not only rely on state personnel to carry out the Qey Shibir; it also armed militias and civilian supporters and granted "genuine revolutionaries and patriots" impunity, further localizing state violence.  The Qey Shibir resulted in 50,000 fatalities.  In addition, many victims of the Qey Shibir were subjected to torture, exile, and sexual assault. The Qey Shibir and the 1983-1985 famine, an event partly created and exacerbated by the government's military policies, increased popular support for the EPRDF, which successfully overthrew Mengistu's regime in 1991. As we entered the 21st century ethnic tensions began to increase between the people of northern Ethiopia, specifically in the Tigray region and the rest of the nation.  Data from the Minorities at Risk (MAR) project were used by Charles E. Riddle to study the degrees of discrimination by the dominant Amharas against the non-dominant ethnic groups in Ethiopia from 1950 to 1992, during the later reign of Emperor Haile Selassie and that of Mengistu Haile Mariam of the Derg. Amharas dominated during the Haile Selassie epoch.  Systematic discrimination against Afars occurred throughout the period. Tigrayans were initially culturally assimilated with the Amharas, speaking Amharic, and suffered little discrimination. Under the Haile Selassie government, the Oromo language was legally banned from education, public speaking and use in administration. During the Haile Selassie regime, the Harari people were persecuted. The imperial forces ordered the confiscation of Harari property and mass arrests of Harari men, as a result an estimated 10,000 Hararis fled their homeland in 1948. The Derg culturally rejected the Tigrayans, who decreased their usage of Amharic, reverting to Tigrinya, and discrimination against the Tigrayans became strong. Eritreans, treated by MAR and Riddle as an ethnic group, and Somalis were strongly discriminated against throughout the period. The Oromos were initially strongly discriminated against, but adopted Amharic as their official language when the Derg came to power, and discrimination against them dropped. Both the Haile Selassie and the Derg governments relocated numerous Amharas into southern Ethiopia where they served in government administration, courts, church and even in school, where Oromo texts were eliminated and replaced by Amharic. In the aftermath of the Ogaden War during the 70s, Hararis, Somalis and Oromo Muslims were targeted by the Derg Government. This leads us to needing to talk about the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front. The Tigray People's Liberation Front, also called the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, is a left-wing ethnic nationalist, paramilitary group, and the former ruling party of Ethiopia. The TPLF was in charge of Ethiopia from the time the Derg was overthrown in 1991 until 2018. Now it's finally time to get to the beginnings of the Tigray Wart and the Tigray genocide. To do that we need to discuss the 2020 Tigray regional election. As we stated previously, Tigray is a regional state of Ethiopia, and in 2020 Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia postponed the 2020 general election over concerns of COVID 19. Tigray decided to hold their elections anyway, regardless of the proclamation made by Ahmed. Their election was considered illegal by the Ethiopian federal government. The TPLF won 98.2 percent of the vote. After years of increased tensions and hostilities between the TPLF and the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea, fighting began when TPLF forces attacked the Northern Command headquarters of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), alongside a number of other bases in Tigray. The ENDF counterattacked from the south – while Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) began launching attacks from the north – which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described as a "law enforcement operation". The war officially ended in November 2022. On 2 November 2022, the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan leaders signed a peace accord, with the African Union as a mediator, and agreed on "orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament". The agreement was made effective the next day on 3 November, marking the two-year anniversary of the war. As part of this process, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed TPLF's Getachew Reda as head of the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray, and the Ethiopian parliament removed the TPLF from its terrorism list. But where does the Tigray Genocide come into play? Why are we talking about this civil war in this podcast? Let's get into it. Issued on Tuesday, June 4th  by the United States-based New Lines Institute, aa 120-page draft quotes multiple, widespread and credible independent reports that Ethiopian forces and their allies carried out “acts constituting the crime of genocide” during the conflict, which ran between 2020-22. The authors call for Ethiopia to be brought before the International Court of Justice. In a report issued in September 2023, the United Nations said war crimes and crimes against humanity were still being committed nearly a year after government and Tigrayan regional forces agreed to end the fighting. It says the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), alongside the allied Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) and assorted regional militia “possessed the intent to destroy Tigrayans as an ethnic group”. At least four acts constituting the crime of genocide are noted in the report: killing Tigrayans, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life upon Tigrayans calculated to bring about their destruction, and imposing measures intended to prevent births among Tigrayans. Additionally, the finger is pointed at social media posts made by “certain individuals” that constitute public incitement to genocide. Ethiopia, which has been accused of seeking to prevent international scrutiny, has repeatedly denied that its forces carried out war crimes during the conflict. Eritrea has claimed such accusations against it are defamatory. However, the new report, which took two years to compile and features the contribution of dozens of legal experts, backs up the findings of the UN by stating that there is “reasonable basis to believe” that the countries are responsible for war crimes and/or crimes against humanity. In conclusion, the authors call on the international community to put pressure on Ethiopia via bilateral relations, as well as bringing the country before the ICJ. The war had a devastating impact on the healthcare system of Tigray; of the 853 health facilities in the region, 86% were at least partially damaged; 232 of them were left "completely unusable", and 28 were destroyed entirely. It also led to a higher rate of maternal and infant mortality in the Tigray Region. In a study funded by UNFPA Ethiopia and UNICEF Ethiopia, it was estimated that maternal mortality rates had increased from 186 deaths per 100,000 people pre-war to 840 deaths per 100,000 people post-war. According to Tigrayan health official Tsegay Gidey, 81% of mothers in the Seharti Samre woreda had birth defects, and 32 newborn infants had died between January–June 2023. Although the war largely came to a halt after the peace agreement was signed, Eritrea continues to occupy parts of Tigray as of mid-2023. The EDF has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in northern Ethiopia since November 2022; from 17 to 25 November alone, Eritrea was reported to have destroyed 241 houses and killed at least 111 people. by 30 December, it was estimated that Eritrean and Amhara forces killed 3,700 since the signing of the peace deal. The Tigray Health Bureau noted that 852 cases of rape and sexual assault were reported between November and December 2022; according to aid workers and interviews with survivors, most of these were committed by Eritrean forces. As of January 2023, over half of Irob district was occupied by Eritrea. Irob advocacy groups and former residents have described it as a "de-facto annexation" of the area. A religious Irob leader told The Guardian in August 2023 that Eritrea was blocking off international aid to the area, and lamented that "there has been no improvement for us since the peace."  In January 2024, Human Rights Watch reported that authorities and regional forces were still forcibly expelling Tigrayans from their homes in the Western Tigray Zone, which is largely inaccessible to humanitarian agencies. Additionally, nearly 40% of the Tigrayan population is suffering from extreme food shortages, a situation made worse by the World Food Program's suspension of aid deliveries in May 2023. All the available evidence points to a continued genocide against the Tigray people from the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea as they as systematically denied food, water and access to medical care.  The Tigray Genocide is often described as “The War The World Forgot”, and based on the West's general attitude towards Africa this feels right. Especially when I account for the fact that I, a genocide studies scholar didn't even know about the Tigray Genocide until 2024. I account this a failure on my part, but also on the part of the global mainstream media that this never even came across any of the news websites I frequent, nor the social media websites I, more often, get reputable news from. That's it for this week folks. No new reviews, so let's get right into the outro. Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard is brought to you by me, The History Wizard. If you want to see/hear more of me you can find me on Tiktok @thehistorywizard or on Instagram @the_history_wizard. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Have a Day! On your pod catcher of choice. The more you do, the more people will be able to listen and learn along with you. Thank you  for sticking around until the end and, as always, Have a Day, and Free Tigray.          

Content warning for discussion of genocide, torture, mutilation, rape, and slavery Hey, Hi, Hello, this is the History Wizard and welcome back for Day 14 of Have a Day w/ The History Wizard. Thank you to everyone who tuned in for Day 13 last week, and especially thank you to everyone who rated and/or reviewed the podcast. I hope you all learned something last week and I hope the same for this week. This week marks the 5th part of our mini series of currently ongoing genocides and humanitarian crises. Episode 2 was on Palestine, Episode 11 was on Congo, episode 12 was on Sudan, episode 13 was on Xinjiang, and today's episode will talk about the genocide of the Rohingya people of Myanmar. It's officially the end of week 2! We made it. Congratulations one and all on surviving 2 weeks worth of weeks. As a gift for you all we're going to visit the Alchemist's Table. Today;s libation is called Prohibition Sweet Tooth. It's 1.5 ounces each of Redemption Bourbon and Creme de Cacao, followed by .75 oz of Frangelico. Shake well and pour over ice. Officially the Rohingya genocide began around 2016 and continues to this day, but as we know from every other episode we've had so far, genocide's don't just pop up out of nowhere all of the sudden. There is context, there is a roadmap of hindsight that we can follow back to, if not a starting point at least a starting line. So, first, let's talk about Myanmar. There have been homonid species living on Myanmar for about 750,000 years, first in the form of Homo erectus and then Homo sapiens starting around 25,000 years ago. Then a whole lot of history happened that, while fascinating and important, isn't strictly relevant to what we're going to discuss today. Starting on January 1, 1886 Myanmar (then called Burma) was officially annexed by the British Empire under the control of the British East India Company. Burma would remain under British rule until 1948. Burma was officially declared an independent state by an act of Parliament, specifically the Burma Independence Act 1947. Burma then remained under a civilian government until 1962, at which point it was overthrown in a coup detat and Burma (which became Myanmar officially in 1989) has been under military rule since then. Between 1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government control under the Burmese Way to Socialism, which combined Soviet-style nationalisation and central planning. A long series of anti-government protests resulted in a popular uprising in 1988, sometimes called the 8888 Uprising. This would lead directly to the renaming of the country from Burma to Myanmar and the country's first free, multiparty elections in 30 years. So, as you can see Myanmar has had an interesting and contentious history born of a desire for a strong sense of national unity, stability, and growth. It was the instability of the civilian government, the lack of growth, the skyrocketing crime rates, and the fear of the disintegration of Burma into several smaller nations that would lead to the 1962 coup after all. When your country has such a strong, almost rabid desire for unity and strength and national identity it always goes hand in hand with a desire for a homogenous society. The Germans in World War 2 felt it. The Ottomans in World War 1 felt it. It's what nations who fear their own collapse DO. They look for the divisive elements, the ones who don't fit the majority mold and they say “Hey, these people won't fall in line. They're dividing out country, threatening it with their different religion, culture, values, etc. We can solve all of our problems, save our country if we just… get rid of them”. Myanmar is a Buddhist majority country, by an overwhelming margin. According to the 2014 Myanmar census 90% of the country's population (of about 56 million) is Buddhist. 6.3% is Christian and just over 2% is Muslim. The Rohingya people, the subjects of our episode for today and Mulsim, so let's dive back and take a look at the history of Muslim persecution in Myanmar. The first Muslim documented in Burmese history (recorded in the Glass Palace Chronicle) was Byat Wi during the reign of Mon, a Thaton king, circa 1050 AD. The two sons of Byat Wi's brother Byat Ta, known as Shwe Byin brothers, were executed as children either because of their Islamic faith, or because they refused forced labor. Throughout the premodern era various restrictions were placed on Muslim communities in Burma. The Burmese king Bayinnaung banned Islamic ritual slaughter, thereby prohibiting Muslims from consuming halal meals of goats and chicken. He also banned Eid al-Adha and Qurbani, regarding killing animals in the name of religion as a cruel custom. Burma having largely adopted Buddhism by the 12th century CE. Although, in a strange, cruel, and somewhat ironic twist King Bodawpaya from 1782–1819 arrested four prominent Burmese Muslim Imams from Myedu and killed them in Ava, the capital, after they refused to eat pork. According to the Myedu Muslim and Burma Muslim version, Bodawpaya later apologized for the killings and recognised the Imams as saints. During the "Burma for Burmese" campaign in the late 1930s, a violent demonstration took place in Surti Bazaar, a Muslim area. When the police, who were ethnically Indian (there was a lot of anti-Indian sentiment in Burma in the 1930s, and because most Indian people living in Burma were Muslim, this also affected Muslim Burmese people), tried to break up the demonstration, three monks were injured. Images of monks being injured by ethnically Indian policemen were circulated by Burmese newspapers, provoking riots. Muslim properties, including shops and houses were looted. According to official sources, 204 Muslims were killed and over 1,000 were injured. 113 mosques were damaged. Panglong, a Chinese Muslim town in British Burma, was entirely destroyed by the Japanese invaders in the Japanese invasion of Burma in World War 2. And, after the 1962 coup all Muslim troops were expelled from the Army.  And, of course, we need to talk about the 1997 Mandalay Riots. Mandalay is the second largest city in Myanmar. a mob of 1,000–1,500 Buddhist monks and others shouted anti-Muslim slogans as they targeted mosques, shop-houses, and vehicles that were in the vicinity of mosques for destruction. Looting, the burning of religious books, acts of sacrilege, and vandalizing Muslim-owned establishments were also common. At least three people were killed and around 100 monks arrested. The unrest in Mandalay allegedly began after reports of an attempted rape of a girl by Muslim men, though there's no way to know if that story is true or not. In 2001, anti-Muslim pamphlets, most notably The Fear of Losing One's Race, were widely distributed by monks. Many Muslims feel that this exacerbated the anti-Muslim feelings that had been provoked by the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan. (The Buddhas are two giant statues in the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan that daye from about the 6th century CE, they have long been considered a holy site by Buddhists and they were destroyed by the Talbian in 2001). And that's why on 15 May 2001, anti-Muslim riots broke out in Taungoo, Pegu division, resulting in the deaths of about 200 Muslims, in the destruction of 11 mosques and the setting ablaze of over 400 houses. On 15 May, the first day of the anti-Muslim uprisings, about 20 Muslims who were praying in the Han Tha mosque were killed and some were beaten to death by the pro-junta forces. Now, something that we need to discuss before I forget to is that since 1982 the Rohingya have been denied voting rights and citizenship within Myanmar thanks to the 1982 Citizenship Law. The law created three categories of citizenship: the first category applied to ethnic Burmans and members of the Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Mon, Arakan Buddhists, Shan, and any other ethnic group present in Myanmar prior to 1823 (though they did not include Rohingya Muslims, rendering them stateless), granted them full citizenship. The second category granted partial “associate” citizenship to the children of mixed marriages where one parents fell into the first category, as well as to individuals who had lived in Myanmar for five consecutive years, or to individuals who lived in Myanmar for eight out of the ten years prior to independence. Associate citizens could earn an income, but could not serve in political office. The third category applied to the offspring of immigrants who arrived in Myanmar during the period of British colonial rule. When we look at the state of Myanmar during the 20th century we can very clearly see Levels 3 and 4 of the Pyramid of Hate. The Pyramid of Hate was created in the mid aughts and was based on the Alport Scale of Prejudice created by psychologist Gordon Alport in the 1950s. Simply put the five levels, going from bottom to top are thoughts, words, discriminatory policy, violence towards individuals because of their membership to the group and violence against the cultural markers of the group, and finally genocide. Myanmar, very obviously has and had discriminatory policy and violence towards individuals and their cultural markers. Massacres, riots, burning Qurans and mosques all fit under level 4. But, of course, things can and did get worse. There was the 2012 Rakhine State riots. Sectarian violence erupted between the Rakhine ethnic group and the Rohingya and ended with most of the Rohingya population of Sittwe, the capital of the Rakhine State being expelled. Over the course of the riots that lasted most of June and erupted again in October a little over 160 people were killed and over 100,000 Rohingya were displaced. We are now in our time of rapid escalation of violence as the next major anti Rohingya event would occur in March of 2013. But before we talk about the 2013 riots we need to talk about the 969 Movement. The 969 is a violently Islamophobic Buddhist Nationalist organization founded and run by Ashin Wirathu. Time for a slight diversion for a fun fact: The three digits of 969 "symbolize the virtues of the Buddha, Buddhist practices and the Buddhist community". The first 9 stands for the nine special attributes of the Buddha and the 6 for the six special attributes of his Dharma, or Buddhist Teachings, and the last 9 represents the nine special attributes of Buddhist Sangha (monastic community). Those special attributes are the Three Jewels of the Buddha. Wirathu claims that he does not advocate for violence against Muslims and that all he wants is peace, and yet in a Time magazine article he had this to say: "You can be full of kindness and love, but you cannot sleep next to a mad dog", Wirathu said, referring to Muslims. "If we are weak", he said, "our land will become Muslim". The 2013 riots were particularly brutal. One incident involved several Muslim teenagers dragging a Buddhist man off of his bike and setting him on fire. As well as the deadliest incident of the riot which occurred when a Buddhist mob attacked and torched the Mingalar Zayone Islamic Boarding School. While outnumbered security forces stood by, rioters armed with machetes, metal pipes, chains, and stones killed 32 teenage students and four teachers. Now, while 2016 would be the “official” start of the genocide we would be remiss if we skipped over the 2015 refugee crisis. In 2015, hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas in Myanmar and Bangladesh fled from religious persecution and continued denial of basic rights in their home countries by means of boat travel, often through previously existing smuggling routes among the Southeast Asian waters. Many Rohingyas fled to Indonesia and Malaysia, which both adopted a stance open to acceptance of the Rohingya refugees still at sea in mid-May. And now we're at the genocide itself, though before we do that, let's take a look at that the US State Department had to say about Myanmar and Rakhine shortly before the shit hit the fan. The situation in Rakhine State is grim, in part due to a mix of long-term historical tensions between the Rakhine and Rohingya communities, socio-political conflict, socio-economic underdevelopment, and a long-standing marginalisation of both Rakhine and Rohingya by the Government of Burma. The World Bank estimates Rakhine State has the highest poverty rate in Burma (78 per cent) and is the poorest state in the country. The lack of investment by the central government has resulted in poor infrastructure and inferior social services, while lack of rule of law has led to inadequate security conditions. Members of the Rohingya community in particular reportedly face abuses by the Government of Burma, including those involving torture, unlawful arrest and detention, restricted movement, restrictions on religious practice, and discrimination in employment and access to social services. In 2012, the intercommunal conflict led to the death of nearly 200 Rohingya and the displacement of 140,000 people. Throughout 2013–2015 isolated incidents of violence against Rohingya individuals continued to take place. In 2016 a Rohingya resistance group known as Harakah al-Yaqin formed and attacked several border police posts leaving 9 officers dead and looting as many munitions as they could. In response to this the government of Myanmar immediately began cracking down on all Rohingya people as quickly and viscously as they could. In the initial operation, dozens of people were killed, and many were arrested. Casualties increased as the crackdown continued. Arbitrary arrest, extrajudicial killings, gang rapes, brutalities against civilians, and looting were carried out. Media reports stated hundreds of Rohingya people had been killed by December 2016, and many had fled Myanmar as refugees to take shelter in the nearby areas of Bangladesh. Those who fled Myanmar to escape persecution reported that women had been gang raped, men were killed, houses were torched, and young children were thrown into burning houses. Boats carrying Rohingya refugees on the Naf River were often gunned down by the Burmese military. In a report published in March 2024, the IIMM stated the military had in a "systematic and coordinated" manner "spread material designed to instil fear and hatred of the Rohingya minority". The report found military was used dozens of seemingly unrelated Facebook pages to spread hate speech against the Rohingya prior before the 2017 Rohingya genocide. This is similar in intent to the use of radio stations to spread constant anti Tutsi propaganda during the Rwandan genocide, though obviously as information technology advances methods get more sophisticated. Though I hesitate to call Facebook sophisticated.. In August 2018, a study estimated that more than 24,000 Rohingya people were killed by the Burmese military and local Buddhists since the "clearance operations" which had started on 25 August 2017. The study also estimated that over 18,000 Rohingya Muslim women and girls were raped, 116,000 Rohingyans were beaten, and 36,000 Rohingyans were thrown into fires. It was also reported that at least 6,700 to 7,000 Rohingya people including 730 children were killed in the first month alone since the crackdown started. In September 2018, the U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar released a report stating that at least 392 Rohingya villages in Rakhine State had been razed to the ground since 25 August 2017. Earlier, Human Rights Watch in December 2017 said it had found that 354 Rohingya villages in Rakhine state were burnt down and destroyed by the Myanmar military. In November 2017, both the UN officials and the Human Rights Watch reported that the Armed Forces of Myanmar had committed widespread gang rapes and other forms of sexual violence against the Rohingya Muslim women and girls for the prior three months. HRW stated that the gang rapes and sexual violence were committed as part of the military's ethnic cleansing campaign while Pramila Patten, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, said that the Rohingya women and girls were made the "systematic" target of rapes and sexual violence because of their ethnic identity and religion. In February 2018, it was reported that the Burmese military bulldozed and flattened the burnt Rohingya villages and mass graves in order to destroy the evidence of atrocities committed. These villages were inhabited by the Rohingya people before they were burnt down by the Burmese military during the 2017 crackdown. Since the 25 August incident, Myanmar blocked media access and the visits of international bodies to Rakhine State. Rakhine State has been called an information black hole. According to the Mission report of OHCHR (released on 11 October 2017 by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), the Burmenese military began a "systematic" process of driving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from Myanmar in early August 2017. The report noted that "prior to the incidents and crackdown of 25 August, a strategy was pursued to": Arrest and arbitrarily detain male Rohingyas between the ages of 15–40 years; Arrest and arbitrarily detain Rohingya opinion-makers, leaders and cultural and religious personalities; Initiate acts to deprive Rohingya villagers of access to food, livelihoods and other means of conducting daily activities and life; Commit repeated acts of humiliation and violence prior to, during and after 25 August, to drive out Rohingya villagers en masse through incitement to hatred, violence, and killings, including by declaring the Rohingyas as Bengalis and illegal settlers in Myanmar; Instill deep and widespread fear and trauma – physical, emotional and psychological, in the Rohingya victims via acts of brutality, namely killings, disappearances, torture, and rape and other forms of sexual violence. In addition to the massive and horrific amounts of violence that are occuring, even now, inside Myanmar there is also the refugee crisis we mentioned earlier. There are over 700,000 Rohingya people who have been displaced from their homes and are living in refugee camps in surrounding countries. Most fled to Bangladesh while others escaped to India, Thailand, Malaysia, and other parts of South and Southeast Asia. On 12 September 2018, the OHCHR Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar published its report to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Following 875 interviews with victims and eyewitnesses since 2011, it concluded that "the [Burmese] military has consistently failed to respect international human rights law and the international humanitarian law principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution." Even before the most recent incident of mass Rohingya displacement began in 2011, the report found that the restrictions on travel, birth registration, and education resulting from Rohingya statelessness violated the Rohingya people's human rights. During the mass displacement of almost 725,000 Rohingya by August 2018 to neighbouring Bangladesh, as a result of persecution by the Tatmadaw, the report recorded "gross human rights violations and abuses" such as mass rape, murder, torture, and imprisonment. It also accused the Tatmadaw of crimes against humanity, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. The mission report recommended that six Burmese generals in the Tatmadaw stand trial in an international tribune for atrocities committed against the Rohingya. Despite all this the UN refuses to do anything substantive. Instead they are still trying to cooperate with the Tatmadaw and convince them to stop committing genocide. The UN has always been a useless tool of appeasement, Western imperialism, and white supremacy that refuses to hold anyone accountable. Of course, if the UN held genocidal regimes accountable they'd have to arrest the entire permanent Security Council so, the lack of accountability isn't surprising. It's why cops don't arrest other cops. You may have noticed that the dates in this episode stop after 2018, you also might remember that Myanmar has been called an information black hole. The genocide is still ongoing, nothing has gotten better and it's probably gotten worse, but getting verifiable information out of Myanmar is all but impossible at this point. Keep Myanmar in your sight. That's it for this week folks. No new reviews, so let's get right into the outro. Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard is brought to you by me, The History Wizard. If you want to see/hear more of me you can find me on Tiktok @thehistorywizard or on Instagram @the_history_wizard. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Have a Day! On your pod catcher of choice. The more you do, the more people will be able to listen and learn along with you. Thank you  for sticking around until the end and, as always, Have a Day, and Free Rakhine.    

Another Friday, another roundup courtesy of Danny and Derek. This week: in Gaza, Israel carries out a hostage rescue operation, massacring more Palestinian civilians in the process (0:30), while ceasefire talks amble along (10:54); Israel also kills a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon prompting an armed response (14:32); the field is finalized for Iran's upcoming presidential election (17:41); in Myanmar, rebels advance in Rakhine State (21:21); tensions rise between the DPRK/North Korea and South Korea (24:20); an update on Sudan and the situation in El Fasher (28:44); coalition talks begin in South Africa in the wake of the recent election (30:31); the Right sees wins in European Parliament elections, plus Macron tries a gambit amidst the fallout in France (35:20); the G7 meets and pledges further support for Ukraine (41:26); the US considers expanding its nuclear arsenal (44:14); and a new Pew poll finds that global support for America/Biden is declining (46:03). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.americanprestigepod.com/subscribe

On this week's American Prestige news roundup: in Gaza, Israel carries out a hostage rescue operation, massacring more Palestinian civilians in the process (0:30), while ceasefire talks amble along (10:54); Israel also kills a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon prompting an armed response (14:32); the field is finalized for Iran's upcoming presidential election (17:41); in Myanmar, rebels advance in Rakhine State (21:21); tensions rise between the DPRK/North Korea and South Korea (24:20); there's an update on Sudan and the situation in El Fasher (28:44); coalition talks begin in South Africa in the wake of the recent election (30:31); the Right sees wins in European Parliament elections, plus Macron tries a gambit amidst the fallout in France (35:20); the G7 meets and pledges further support for Ukraine (41:26); the US considers expanding its nuclear arsenal (44:14); and a new Pew poll finds that global support for America/Biden is declining (46:03).Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

King Charles and the Prince of Wales joined world leaders and veterans at a series of events to mark 80 years since D-Day, the largest amphibious invasion in military history. In a speech commemorating the anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, US President Joe Biden drew parallels between Russia's invasion of Ukraine and World War Two. We discuss with a former US Army general, and hear from a D-Day veteran.Also on the programme:The BBC gains rare access to Myanmar, where Rakhine State has become a focal point for the country's nationwide civil war;And we head to Redcar on the Yorkshire Coast, where one in three children live in poverty, to take a closer look at the issue ahead of the general election.

As the long burning genocide against the Rohingya continues to unfold with recent conflagrations of violence in Rakhine State, we are joined on Speaking Out of Place today with prominent Rohingya advocate and writer Nay San Lwin and veteran journalist Chris Gunness, now with the Myanmar Accountability Project.They take us through recent disturbing developments in the area and the present perils facing the Rohingya. They discuss the pervasive failings of international institutions and the relationship between the Gaza and Rohingya genocides, and also, together, envision what a just future might look like and require.Chris Gunness covered the 1988 democracy uprising for the BBC in what was then Burma. After a 23-year career at the BBC, he joined the United Nations as Director of Strategic Communications and Advocacy in the Middle East. In 2019 he left the UN and returned to London. He founded the Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP) in 2021.Nay San Lwin is a Rohingya activist and blogger. For the past 18 years, since his departure from Myanmar, he has been documenting human rights violations and the military campaigns of the Tatmadaw in Arakan State of Myanmar. He is a prolific commentator on Rohingya issues on radio, television channels and other mainstream media outlets. He is a co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition.

"Rohingyas and Arakkha Army in Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State" Myanmar Nway Oo Chronicle 22nd May 2024 (Moemaka Article) Nway Oo Mon.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"The Rakhine State situation has received the attention of international organizations" Myanmar Nway Oo Chronicle 20th May 2024 (Moemaka Article).This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Metadata, VBR MP3

Tehran announces five days of national mourning. Also: hours after the inauguration of Taiwan's new president, China warns the self-governing island that independence is a dead end; and the UN human rights chief says he's deeply alarmed by the destruction of one of the main towns in Myanmar's Rakhine State and the expulsion of its Rohingya population.

"Interview with Radio NUG about the discussion on the Arakan issue in Bangladesh with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of NUG, Deputy Minister U Moe Zaw Oo" Nway Oo Lay Pyae.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Metadata, VBR MP3

"There are only a few political prisoners who were released on amnesty on the 1st of the Myanmar New Year. War crimes in Rakhine State"  Myanmar Nway Oo Chronicle 17th Apr 2024 (Moemaka Article) Min Yu.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

Renewed fighting in Rakhine State between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army has brought renewed insecurity to the state. As well as a lack of work due to the destroyed economy, young people now fear being forcibly recruited into an unpopular military by its newly introduced conscription law. This week's story is by Doh Athan freelance journalist

Renewed fighting in Rakhine State between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army has brought renewed insecurity to the state. As well as a lack of work due to the destroyed economy, young people now fear being forcibly recruited into an unpopular military by its newly introduced conscription law. This week's story is by Doh Athan freelance journalist

"KNLA captures most of the battalions and strategic camps in Myawati Township. The ongoing fighting and camp seizure in Rakhine State."  Myanmar Nway Oo Chronicle 6th Apr 2024 (Moemaka Article).This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"Military Council Attempts to Create Ethnic Conflict in Rakhine State" Myanmar Nway Oo Chronicle 23rd Mar 2024 (Moemaka Article) Aeri.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"More than 90 Rohingya who were dragged into the war in Rakhine state died. Only over 100,000 people took the basic education exam" Myanmar Nway Oo Chronicle 13th Mar 2024 (Moemaka Article).This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"The retreat of the military council from Rakhine State, the ongoing fighting in Sagaing, Magway, Karen, and Kachin" Myanmar Nway Oo Chronicle 17th Feb 2024 (Moemaka Article) Nway Oo Mon.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"A military fighter jet was shot down again in North Shan. A battalion surrendered in Kyauktao, Rakhine State" Myanmar Nway Oo Chronicle 16th Jan 2024 (Moemaka Article) Nway Oo Naing.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"Announced that the AA has captured the entire Palatwa region, fighting continues in Rakhine State" Myanmar Nway Oo Chronicle 14th Jan 2024 (Moemaka Article) Nway Oo Mai.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"The fighting is going on in Mantong and Lauk Kai towns. Rakhine State has been cut off" Myanmar Spring Chronicle 22nd Dec 2023 (Moemaka Article) Nway Oo Mon.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Metadata, VBR MP3

"The fighting is still going on in Paktaw, Rakhine state, civilians are trapped, communication is gradually interrupted in Rakhine" Myanmar Spring Chronicle 22nd Nov 2023 (Moemaka Article) Yan Naing.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"Strategy of Military Council Blocking Rakhine State" Myanmar Spring Chronicle 19th Nov 2023 (Moemaka Article) Nway Oo Mon.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Metadata, VBR MP3

"Residents trapped in Paktaw, Rakhine state, target of ethnic armed groups" Myanmar Spring Chronicle 18th Nov 2023 (Moemaka Article) Nway Oo Mai.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

Local news-Nway Oo Mai "It doesn't matter if the plane is there or not" (Poem) - Kyaw Min Tun (New York), Loot Lat Nway Oo "The situation after the fighting started in Rakhine State. Reed Khoda on the Indian border of Chin State seized a military camp....This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"The situation after the fighting started in Rakhine State. Reed Khoda on the Indian border of Chin State seized a military camp. 8 townships in northern Shan State declared martial law." Myanmar Spring Chronicle 13th Nov 2023 (Moemaka Article) Yan Naing.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"Villages south of Kalay City are blocked from food and fuel. Chairman of Rakhine State Women's Network Arrested", Myanmar Spring Chronicle 15th AUG 2023 (Moemaka Article)-Nway Oo Maung.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

"The northern region of Rakhine State continues to suffer from flooding and faces the possibility of losing about 70,000 acres of rice planted despite the difficulties" (The Voice of Agricultural Farmers) Nway Oo Mai.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Metadata, VBR MP3

Local news-Nway Oo Mon "The northern region of Rakhine State continues to suffer from flooding and faces the possibility of losing about 70,000 acres of rice planted despite the difficulties" (The Voice of Agricultural Farmers) Nway Oo Mai In the Village (Poem) by Khaing Myo, Nway Oo Moe "The life o....This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Metadata, VBR MP3

Local news-Nway Oo Mon "The people of Rakhine State are in need of drinking water, food and emergency medicine due to further flooding caused by Storm Mokha" (News with People's voice) Loot Lat Nway Oo The beauty of successful revolution (Women section) Part 71-Floda Han "Fighting together with the ....This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Metadata, VBR MP3

"The military council has banned the export of fertilizers, so farmers in Rakhine state are having trouble growing rainfed rice" (The Voice of Agricultural Farmers) Aeri.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Metadata, VBR MP3

As recovery efforts continue in Rakhine after Cyclone Mocha, some children are missing out on their education. Homes, schools and crops were damaged in the cyclone and many families are struggling just for basic survival. This week's story is by a Doh Athan freelance journalist.

In 2017, a deadly crackdown by Myanmar's army resulted in the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims across the border into Bangladesh. Years later, many of those who fled are still in refugee camps.But why have the Rohingya people become stateless? And will they ever return to Myanmar, which is now run by a military junta after a coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi and her government in 2021.The BBC's Burmese Editor, Soe Win Than, explains how tensions grew in the Rakhine State and explores if the Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists could ever live side by side again.Presenter: Claire Graham Producer: Owen McFadden

"The Voice of Agricultural Farmers", In Rakhine state, it is difficult to grow crops due to the lack of capital by Nway Oo Lay Pya.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Metadata, VBR MP3

A month after Cyclone Mokha hit, Rakhine State still needs emergency aid-Myanmar Spring Chronicle 17th Jun 2023 (Moemaka Article)-Hein Ko Ko.This item belongs to: audio/opensource_audio.This item has files of the following types: Archive BitTorrent, Item Tile, Metadata, PNG, Spectrogram, VBR MP3

Time running out to save Myanmar's Rakhine from hunger and disease post-Cyclone MochaNicaragua crackdown on dissent must stop: OHCHRRegulation needed to curb use of AI for surveillance, disinformation: rights experts

BBC Bengali's Shahnewaj Rocky shares the experiences of the fishermen of Teknaf in Bangladesh following Cyclone Mocha. Plus BBC Burmese Editor Soe Win Than shares his reporting team's experience of being in Rakhine State's capital Sittwe as the cyclone made landfall. Thai voters ‘big leaps' Thai social media has been full of people's photos of themselves taking big leaps after the election success of the Move Forward party, as BBC Thai's Tossapol Chaisamritpol explains. LGBT extortion in Nigeria The story behind BBC Africa Eye's investigation into how members of the LGBT community in Nigeria are being targeted by criminal gangs who pose as potential dates on popular apps, only to extort, beat and even kidnap them. Journalist Ian Wafula followed the story. Art, spoons and defecting from North Korea BBC Korean's Damin Jung tells us about North Korean defector Oh Sung-cheol who was a propaganda poster artist in North Korea before defecting to South Korea. (Photo: Aftermath of Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar. Credit: Win Kyaw Thu/BBC Burmese)

It's Thursday, May 18th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Sec. of State: Religious persecution continues globally The U.S. State Department released its 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom on Monday.  The report found some countries improved like Brazil. However, Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted the trend of religious discrimination continues globally.  BLINKEN: “Unfortunately, the report also documents the continuation, and in some instances, the rise of very troubling trends. Governments in many parts of the world continue to target religious minorities using a host of methods including torture, beatings, unlawful surveillance, and so-called re-education camps.” The report documented religious freedom violations in many countries, including Afghanistan, China, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Nicaragua, and Nigeria. These countries are also on the Open Doors World Watch List of nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Category 5 storm hits Myanmar Speaking of Myanmar, a category 5 storm slammed into the coast of the Southeast Asian country on Sunday. Cyclone Mocha made landfall in Myanmar's western Rakhine State with winds of over 150 miles per hour. The storm led to the deaths of at least six people and caused extensive damage. Hundreds of thousands of people had to evacuate as the cyclone approached.  The disaster only adds to the humanitarian crisis in the area. The region is a battleground between pro-democracy forces and Myanmar's military government, leading to the displacement of over a million people.  JPMorgan Chase aided Jeffrey Epstein, discriminates against Christians & pro-lifers JPMorgan Chase is in hot water lately.  The  U.S. Virgin Islands government believes the bank giant aided Jeffry Epstein in sex trafficking acts. The government's latest action in the lawsuit was to subpoena tech billionaire Elon Musk for information in the case.  Meanwhile, 19 Republican attorneys general in the U.S. are calling out JPMorgan Chase for religious discrimination. A letter from the attorneys general documented how the bank has closed the accounts of religious, conservative, and pro-life groups. The letter stated, “This discrimination is unacceptable. Chase must stop such behavior and align its business practices with the anti-discrimination policies that Chase proclaims.” North Carolina legislature overrides pro-abortion Governor Cooper's veto On Tuesday, North Carolina's legislature voted to override Democratic Governor Roy Cooper's veto of an anti-abortion bill. The 12-week abortion ban is now law. It prohibits the killing of unborn babies in most cases after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The state already banned nearly all abortions after 20 weeks. The new law also bans mail-order abortion pills. 30% of American adults battle depression, made worse by COVID shutdowns A new survey from Gallup found a record 30% of U.S. adults say they have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their life. That percentage hovered around 20% for years until 2020. The percentage of adults who say they currently are being treated for depression also rose significantly since then.  Young adults aged 18 to 29 and women had the highest rates of current depression or treatment for depression. The study noted the mental health effects of the pandemic isolation lockdowns. It said, “Clinical depression had been slowly rising in the U.S. prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but has jumped notably in its wake.” Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”  U.S. church attendance is bouncing back The American Bible Society released data on church attendance in their State of the Bible USA 2023 report. Three years after the start of the pandemic, attendance is bouncing back. Sixty-seven percent of church goers say they attend primarily in person, up from 38% in 2021. The percentage of those who attend mostly online is down from 45% to 21%.  In-person church attendance increased most notably in younger generations, especially Gen Z, over the last year. 53-year-old summits Mt. Everest for 27th time! And finally, a 53-year-old Nepali Sherpa set a record after summiting Mount Everest for the 27th time yesterday. Kami Rita first climbed the nearly 30,000 foot mountain in 1994 and has been scaling it nearly every year since. Kami's father was among the first Sherpa guides after Nepal allowed foreigners to climb Everest in 1950. Being a Sherpa is perilous, but Kami said he got into it to provide for his family, “We were illiterate and poor and there were no other means of survival. As a result, we were compelled to climb dangerous mountains to eke out a living.” Since 1953, mountaineers have scaled the incredible piece of God's creation over 11,000 times. Psalm 95:3-4 says, “For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also." Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, May 18th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast a www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

The Rohingya population, from Myanmar's Rakhine State, are a community almost living entirely in exile, whether in refugee camps in Bangladesh, or working on boats throughout the Indian Ocean. The Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, is now the world's largest. But the Rohingya's struggles began long before the crisis intensified in 2012 and 2017, as noted in Kaamil Ahmed's first book, I Feel No Peace: Rohingya Fleeing Over Seas and Rivers (Hurst, 2023). Kaamil talks to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and beyond to understand how this community has tried to survive years of neglect and at times hostility from the governments and institutions meant to look after them. In this interview, Kaamil and I talk about the Rohingya population, their lives in the refugee camps, and their attempts to make a life for themselves. Kaamil Ahmed is a journalist at The Guardian, covering international development, who previously lived in and reported from Jerusalem, Bangladesh and Turkey. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of I Feel No Peace. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The Rohingya population, from Myanmar's Rakhine State, are a community almost living entirely in exile, whether in refugee camps in Bangladesh, or working on boats throughout the Indian Ocean. The Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, is now the world's largest. But the Rohingya's struggles began long before the crisis intensified in 2012 and 2017, as noted in Kaamil Ahmed's first book, I Feel No Peace: Rohingya Fleeing Over Seas and Rivers (Hurst, 2023). Kaamil talks to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and beyond to understand how this community has tried to survive years of neglect and at times hostility from the governments and institutions meant to look after them. In this interview, Kaamil and I talk about the Rohingya population, their lives in the refugee camps, and their attempts to make a life for themselves. Kaamil Ahmed is a journalist at The Guardian, covering international development, who previously lived in and reported from Jerusalem, Bangladesh and Turkey. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of I Feel No Peace. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

The Rohingya population, from Myanmar's Rakhine State, are a community almost living entirely in exile, whether in refugee camps in Bangladesh, or working on boats throughout the Indian Ocean. The Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, is now the world's largest. But the Rohingya's struggles began long before the crisis intensified in 2012 and 2017, as noted in Kaamil Ahmed's first book, I Feel No Peace: Rohingya Fleeing Over Seas and Rivers (Hurst, 2023). Kaamil talks to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and beyond to understand how this community has tried to survive years of neglect and at times hostility from the governments and institutions meant to look after them. In this interview, Kaamil and I talk about the Rohingya population, their lives in the refugee camps, and their attempts to make a life for themselves. Kaamil Ahmed is a journalist at The Guardian, covering international development, who previously lived in and reported from Jerusalem, Bangladesh and Turkey. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of I Feel No Peace. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies

The Myanmar coup on February 1, 2021 shocked the world, and ended an opening that had fostered hopes for democratization and economic development. The Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military, reversed a decade's worth of changes, and sparked a civil conflict that has continued for two years since the coup. Why did the military launch a coup? What reasons do the Tatmadaw give for seizing such a central role in the country's affairs? Oliver Slow, a reporter who was based in Myanmar over the past decades, shares his on-the-ground experiences in his recent book Return of the Junta: Why Myanmar's Military Must Go Back to the Barracks (Bloomsbury, 2023) In this interview, Oliver and I talk about his history in Myanmar, how the military grew to see itself as the protectors of Myanmar–despite what the people think–and the complicated conflict in Rakhine State. Oliver Slow is an award-winning multimedia journalist. Previously based in Southeast Asia for more than a decade, he's recently returned to the United Kingdom, where he works for the BBC. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Return of the Junta. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at@nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The Myanmar coup on February 1, 2021 shocked the world, and ended an opening that had fostered hopes for democratization and economic development. The Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military, reversed a decade's worth of changes, and sparked a civil conflict that has continued for two years since the coup. Why did the military launch a coup? What reasons do the Tatmadaw give for seizing such a central role in the country's affairs? Oliver Slow, a reporter who was based in Myanmar over the past decades, shares his on-the-ground experiences in his recent book Return of the Junta: Why Myanmar's Military Must Go Back to the Barracks (Bloomsbury, 2023) In this interview, Oliver and I talk about his history in Myanmar, how the military grew to see itself as the protectors of Myanmar–despite what the people think–and the complicated conflict in Rakhine State. Oliver Slow is an award-winning multimedia journalist. Previously based in Southeast Asia for more than a decade, he's recently returned to the United Kingdom, where he works for the BBC. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Return of the Junta. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at@nickrigordon. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies