For many students from Myanmar, studying in Europe has become one of the few remaining routes to safety and a future. Yet their path is increasingly blocked not by academic merit or financial criteria, but by a dangerous bureaucratic requirement: the police clearance letter. Key takeaways: The police clearance letter forces applicants into direct contact… Continue reading When paperwork becomes a barrier: Burmese students and European visas
Myanmar’s junta is staging elections amid an ongoing civil war not to restore democracy but to manufacture legitimacy. The vote is designed to entrench military rule and provide international cover for continued violence. Key takeaways: The sham elections are an attempt to legitimize military rule. International actors should side with the public’s continued rejection of… Continue reading Staging legitimacy: Why the world should ignore Myanmar’s sham elections
Since Myanmar’s resistance has succeeded in weakening the military without significant international backing, the EU must now scale up its support to help shape a more inclusive and democratic Myanmar and remain a credible actor in the country and in Southeast Asia. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of… Continue reading Why the EU must scale up support for Myanmar’s resistance
Ethnic Armed Organizations remain enduring political actors in Myanmar, consistently exploiting moments of central state weakness to advance their autonomy goals. Key takeaways: Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) have played a central role in resisting the junta since the 2021 coup. The history of Myanmar’s conflicts demonstrates that ethnic resistance movements have consistently leveraged moments of… Continue reading Recognizing ethnic agency in Myanmar: From CIA operations to the Spring Revolution
Czechia proves to be most China-assertive of the Visegrád group nations. Although he received sharp condemnation from Beijing, Czech President Petr Pavel’s private meeting with the Dalai Lama has resonated positively at home – reflecting a broader trend of strong public support for Tibet and growing skepticism toward China. Although he received sharp condemnation from… Continue reading Despite Beijing’s pushback, Czechs back Pavel’s meeting with the Dalai Lama
