Suzanne and Ruth are joined by Khaing Zar Aung, President of the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM), and Treasurer of the Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM). Ma Khaing Zar grew up in Yangon, Myanmar. She began working at the age of sixteen in a garment factory, making clothing for big international labels. She joined the political movement against the previous military dictatorship led by the then Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB), while in exile in 2007. After she was able to return to Myanmar in 2012, she became a key force in helping to grow the free and democratic union movement. She is now in exile in Germany. An arrest warrant hangs over her and her passport has been declared void, but her fight for democracy and workers’ rights endures despite continued risks to her life. Here she talks about the campaign to get international companies to stop doing business in Myanmar, voices her pleas to the European Union to implement comprehensive economic sanctions to stop the flow of cash into the regime’s hands, and speaks of her determination to continue to fight for better conditions for all workers in Myanmar. 

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

Credits:

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

Graphics: SelinaXin

Sound Effects: https://mixkit.co

*Special thanks to Khaing Zar Aung and all those who are bravely standing up for workers rights in Myanmar during this difficult time. We are so grateful to Khaing Zar Aung for adding her voice to the conversation.

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