Largely unnoticed by the international community, in the past three years different ethnic groups in Myanmar have been fighting together against military rule in the Southeast Asian country. On February 1, 2021, generals staged a coup d’état that brought an abrupt end to the country’s ten-year phase of gradual opening and democratization. In response, the previously elected parliamentarians set up an interim government together with representatives of ethnic minorities and other pro-democracy groups. The aim of Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) is to abolish the dictatorship and establish a federal democratic union ensuring equality and justice for all.
How the dictatorship can be overcome and what contributions Europe and Germany can make – these are some of the topics of the Panel Discussion on Myanmar’s transition to a federal democracy
held on Tuesday, February 20, at 3 p.m. (s.t.), in Room IG 411, of the IG Farben-Building on Goethe University’s Westend Campus.
Participating in the panel discussion are Foreign Minister Zin Mar Aung of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, whose attendance immediately follows her participation in the Munich Security Conference; surgeon, writer and chair of Pen International’s Writers-in-Prison-Committee Ma Thida; political activist and co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition Ko Nay San Lwin; sinologist and coordinator of the “Regime Competition” research group at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) Dr. Pascal Abb; as well as the head of Goethe University’s Global Office Dr. Johannes Müller.
Dr. Ulrich Kuch will moderate the discussion. He heads the Department of Tropical Medicine and Global Health at Goethe University’s Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine and serves as coordinator of Frankfurt’s hospital and university partnerships with Myanmar.
The event is organized by the Global Office, Goethe University’s Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, and PRIF.
The panel discussion is linked to the photo exhibition “Poser pour la liberté/Standing for Freedom”, which puts a spotlight on endangered and refugee scientists. The award-winning exhibition will be on display in the foyer of the IG Farben-Building until February 17.
The panel discussion will be held in English. Afterwards, caterers from Myanmar will serve a range of typical local snacks.
