Origin Report Myanmar

The southeast Asian country is facing uncertain times – and that means its burgeoning coffee industry needs our support now more than ever, says Priscilla Daniel, green coffee trader for DRWakefield

- Priscilla Daniel

Myanmar is a contradictory state. It contains beautiful ancient architecture, lush green fields and is devoutly Buddhist. Yet it has also been plagued by violence, civil war and a succession of dictators, and is now in the news because of a military crackdown on the Rohingya people of Rakhine state.

Some people have called for a boycott of Myanmar in response to the current humanitarian crisis. But are such protests useful against a country whose people suffer from substantial poverty? Or should we encourage trade for those who grow crops such as coffee, so they can make a sustainable living and afford education and basic necessities?

I believe we should support this community so it can lift itself out of poverty. As a green coffee trader, I don’t want to punish the producers of the Chin, Mandalay and Shan regions. Exporting their coffee will bring them stability.

Myanmar is a southeast Asian state bordered by India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Laos and China. It was under British rule from 1824 to 1948, when it was renamed Burma, and then under an oppressive military junta from 1962 to 2011.

The woman who became the face of opposition to military rule, Aung San Suu Kyi, is now at the helm, and Myanmar has opened its doors to the rest of the world, embracing free speech and global friendships with partners eager to help Burmese society prosper.