Nine-year-olds on drugs: Has the world abandoned Myanmar?

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.In this episode, he speaks with the British psychotherapist and aid worker Edward Blakeney on the travails of Myanmar’s 1.6 million exiles and 4 million internally displaced people.What emerges is a story of food shortages, medical issues including mental trauma, and lack of educational opportunities among an exile diaspora that now stretches from Thailand to Bangladesh, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka.Highlights (click/tap above)2:30 Brutal war and a worsening refugee situation5:20 A 9-year-old drug addict8:40 Wasting, malnourished children14:10 Ukraine distraction, journalists under the gun24:00 Has Blakeney seen a shrink himself, given what he has seen and experienced?Read Ravi’s columns: https://str.sg/3xRPFollow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloorSign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg)Produced and edited by: Fa’izah SaniExecutive producer: Ernest LuisFollow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg---Follow more ST podcast channels:All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts