At the Crossroads of Conflict

Insight Myanmar

Episode #235: Peter Morris shares his informed and detailed views on the ongoing challenges and the imminent potential of Myanmar's Spring Revolution. A lawyer and journalist by trade, Morris discusses the critical need for Western support, particularly from the U.S., to bolster the revolution, emphasizing the strategic and humanitarian benefits such backing would entail.

Morris underscores the present, precarious, military situation in Myanmar. He sheds light on China's nuanced position, caught between its strategic interests and the unstable junta, suggesting that Beijing's influence could be pivotal yet is hampered by internal conflicts and a lack of clear policy direction.

Throughout the dialogue, Morris articulates a clear vision for Myanmar’s future, stressing the importance of international support through humanitarian aid, which he argues would hasten the junta's fall by alleviating the burden on local resources. This support, he believes, could redefine the geostrategic landscape, particularly in relation to Chinese interests and the broader regional stability.

“We still have to be patient, that's going to be key,” he says. “After all the successes that they've had going up against this powerful military, with little help from the outside, largely on their own, well, it's been an epic struggle, and they're winning! Many books will be written about this struggle. And women are involved, even on the front lines as well. It's nurses doing all kinds of other things, taking leadership roles. It's a movement, it's a revolution.”