The Inquiry

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Is Myanmar on the brink of collapse? May 23, 2024

Show notes

In February 2024, Myanmar reactivated an old law which had been on hold for 14 years, stating adult men aged up to 35, and women up to 27 years old, must serve at least two years in the country’s armed forces. The plan is to add sixty thousand new recruits annually – and anyone caught avoiding conscription faces prison and a fine.

It’s part of the military-led government’s bid to fight back in a brutal civil war, which broke out in 2021 after its coup seized power from the democratically elected party. A violent crackdown on the peaceful public protests that followed triggered widespread armed resistance and has energised other groups who are determined to end military leadership.

Myanmar is no stranger to internal unrest, but this latest conflict is pushing it closer to the edge.

This week we’re asking - Is Myanmar on the brink of collapse?

Contributors: Tin Htar Swe, Former Editor of BBC Burmese Service & freelance Myanmar consultant Professor Michael W. Charney, Professor of Asian and Military History, SOAS, University of London Dr David Brenner, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Sussex Dr Min Zaw Oo, Executive Director, Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security

Production team: Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Lorna Reader Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott

Image: A protester holds a placard with a three-finger salute in front of a military tank parked aside the street in front of the Central Bank building in Yangon, Myanmar, on 15 February 2021 (Credit: Aung Kyaw Htet/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Is Turkey getting more dangerous for women? May 16, 2024

Show notes

Historically, Turkey has always had a strong women’s rights movement, stemming from the days of the Ottoman Empire through to the emergence of the Republic of Turkey into the present day. At the top of the movement’s agenda now is the fight to protect women against violence from men. It’s three years since Turkey pulled out of the Istanbul Convention, the Europe wide treaty on combatting violence against women and girls. The Turkish Government has its own version of domestic violence law, but there are concerns that this doesn’t offer the same protection as the Convention.

Campaigners say that femicide and violence against women continues to plague society and that there is an increasingly anti-gender rhetoric within mainstream politics.

So, this week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is Turkey getting more dangerous for women?’

Contributors: Dr. Sevgi Adak, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, The Aga Khan University. Professor Seda Demiralp, Işık University, Turkey. Dr. Ezel Buse Sönmezocak, International Human Rights Lawyer, Turkey Dr. Hürcan Aslı Aksoy, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin.

Presenter: Emily Wither Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Katie Morgan Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

Image credit: Cagla Gurdogan via REUTERS from BBC Images

Has US military aid come in time for President Zelensky? May 09, 2024

Show notes

The war in Ukraine has reached a pivotal moment.

After months of an apparent stalling on the frontlines, Russia has recently made a series of critical breakthroughs.

Now the race is on for Kyiv to get newly approved military aid to the front line before Russian forces attack Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv.

The 60 billion dollar bill passed in America’s congress at the end of April allows for Ukraine to push back against Russian forces and prepare to mount an offensive next year.

But a gap in the supply of missiles has left Kyiv dangerously exposed and huge questions remain about how Ukraine’s President will act next.

So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Has US military aid come in time for President Zelensky?’

Contributors:

Gustav Gressel, senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations’ Berlin office. Max Bergmann, Director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in the US. Dr Marina Miron, post-doctoral researcher in the War Studies Department and an honorary researcher at the Centre for Military Ethics and the Department of Defence Studies, Kings College, London. Professor Olga Onuch, Professor (Chair) in Comparative and Ukrainian Politics at the University of Manchester, UK.

Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Lorna Reader Researcher: Matt Toulson Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

Image credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters via BBC Images

Can Texas go it alone on border control? May 02, 2024

Show notes

Last year the US state of Texas introduced a controversial law designed to control the huge number of undocumented migrants crossing its southern border with Mexico. The law known as Senate Bill 4 or SB4, allows local and state police the power to arrest and charge people with a newly created state crime - ‘illegal entry’.

Immigration law has historically been handled by the federal government. Crossing the border is a federal crime and addressed by immigration courts that fall under the justice department.

Now Texas is embroiled in a legal battle and SB4 has been paused. But it’s just the latest measure that Texas has taken to stop hundreds of thousands of migrants entering the US on its border. Back in 2021 the state’s Governor, Greg Abbott launched a multi-billion dollar border security programme known as Operation Lone Star. Along with his Republican lawmakers, the Governor’s argument is that Texas has a legal right to defend itself and they allege that Democrat President Joe Biden has failed to secure the US southern border in violation of the law. But with a Presidential election this November, it remains to be seen if Texas will have a more sympathetic ally in the White House in the future.

So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Can Texas go it alone on border control?’

Contributors:

Dr. Ernesto Castañeda, Director of the Centre for Latin American and Latino Studies and its Immigration Lab, American University, Washington DC, USA

Dr James Henson, Director, Texas Politics Project, Department of Government, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.

Denise Gilman, Clinical Professor, Co-Director Immigration Clinic, The University of Texas at Austin, School of Law, USA

Julia Gelatt, Associate Director, US Immigration Policy Programme, Migration Policy Institute, Washington DC, USA

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

(Photo credit: Adam Davis via BBC Images

Who is country? Apr 25, 2024

Show notes

Beyonce has released an album that has gone straight to the top of the country music charts.

The 27 tracks include the work of many collaborators from the world of country music, including Black country artist Linda Martell and Dolly Parton’s 1974 song Jolene.

It has been so well received it has become the fastest selling album of the year.

Beyonce is usually known for her pop and RnB. Her success in the country music genre has opened up a wider debate about where country music originates from, who it belongs to and its political associations.

This week on the Inquiry we are asking, who is country ?

Contributors:

William Nash, Professor of American Studies and English at Middleburgh College Francesca Inglese, assistant professor in the Department of Music at Northeastern University Taylor Crumpton, music critic and culture writer from Dallas, Texas Charles Hughes, associate professor at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee and co-founder of the No Fences Review

Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Louise Clarke and Lorna Reader Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

Image credit: Reuters

Are synthetic opioids a global problem? Apr 18, 2024

Show notes

An increasing number of people are dying from misuse of synthetic opioids. In 2022, the US recorded over 70,000 overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids. The government is spending billions to combat the effects of these super strength drugs. Synthetic opioids, such as Fentanyl, are made in laboratories by using materials derived from the opium poppy. China is a major hub for the production of synthetic opioids, where it then makes its way to North America through Mexican drug cartels.

The lab-made drugs can be more deadly than the natural materials, but they are more easily accessible, and prevalence is rising across the world.

In West Africa and the Middle East, tramadol is one of the most consumed synthetic drugs. The rise of synthetic opioids in the European market, which are being used as a substitute for a heroin shortage, is fuelling concern that these substances could lead to a rise in drug-related deaths.

This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking are synthetic opioids a global problem?

Contributors Ric Treble, Forensic chemist and advisor to the Government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Dr Angela Me, Chief of the Research and Trend Analysis Branch from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Ben Westhoff, author of Fentanyl, Inc and investigative journalist Dr Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings Institution

Production team Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producers: Vicky Carter and Matt Toulson Researcher: Ajai Singh Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

Image credit: mikroman6 via Getty Images

How secure is Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership? Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Six months into Israel’s war in Gaza and with no sign of a ceasefire or breakthrough in securing the release of the 130 hostages, as yet unaccounted for, pressure is mounting on Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

There have been widespread protests in Tel Aviv and across Israel. There have been calls both from home and abroad for an early election to be called. And Israel’s greatest ally, the United States has sharpened its rhetoric in the past few weeks over Israel’s conduct of the war, with President Biden now saying that he believes Benjamin Netanyahu is making ‘a mistake’ in his handling of it.

For his part, the Israeli Prime Minister looks set to continue with his military offensive and has shown no indication so far that he is willing to step down or call an early election.

So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘How secure is Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership?’

Contributors: Professor David Tal, the Yossi Harel Chair in Modern Israel Studies, University of Sussex, UK Natan Sachs, Director of the Centre for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Institution, Washington DC, USA Aaron David Miller, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC, USA Professor Tamar Hermann, Senior Research Fellow, The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem

Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

Image credit: Reuters via BBC Images

Are we close to a breakthrough for Multiple Sclerosis? Apr 04, 2024

Show notes

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease which can lead to loss of mobility and vision. Almost 3 million people worldwide are affected by it. There is no cure, but attempts are being made to accelerate the healing process with treatments to restore what the disease has damaged.

At the same time, scientists have recently discovered a link between MS and a common virus that the majority of us carry in our bodies. It had been known for years that there was a link between Multiple Sclerosis and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). But then, a study finally proved the link.

Now, trials are underway on potential vaccines against EBV and scientists are hopeful that this could be a gateway to preventing MS.

This week on the Inquiry we are asking: Are we close to a breakthrough for Multiple Sclerosis?

Contributors:

Tim Coetzee, Chief Advocacy, Services & Science Officer for the National MS Society, US Tjalf Ziemssen, Professor of Clinical Neuroscience and Head of the Multiple Sclerosis Center and Neuroimmunological Laboratory, University Clinic Carl-Gustav Carus, Germany Jeffrey Huang, Associate Professor of Biology, Georgetown University, US Claire Shannon-Lowe, Associate Professor in Virology, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham, UK

Production team:

Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Ajai Singh Editor: Tara McDermott Studio Manager: Hal Haines Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

Image Credit: Shidlovski\Getty

Is climate change impacting chocolate production? Mar 28, 2024

Show notes

For centuries chocolate has had a global appeal, the key ingredient of this confectionery is derived from the dried and fully fermented seed of the Theobroma cacao, whose origins began in northern Amazonia. From this tree, both cocoa solids and cocoa butter can be extracted to form the basis of chocolate.

Today, it’s the West African countries of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana that produce the bulk of the world’s supply of cocoa beans. But in recent years hotter temperatures and shifts in rainfall patterns have impacted cocoa harvests particularly in this region. And now the global price of this key ingredient has roughly doubled since the start of last year, fuelling concern that demand could outweigh supply. Cocoa farming itself is mainly small scale and these farmers are at the bottom end of the value chain when it comes to profits. But whilst many of the major chocolate manufacturers do invest in the industry, with support for improved planting and harvesting techniques, farming sustainably is just one of a number of challenges that these small farmers face.

So on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is climate change impacting chocolate production?’

Contributors: Dr Katie Sampeck, British Academy Global Professor of Historical Archaeology, University of Reading, England Philip Antwi-Agyei, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Steffany Bermúdez, Policy Advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Canada Yunusa Abubakar, Project Manager, International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO), Côte d’Ivoire

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Hal Haines Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

Image by grafvision via Getty Images

Will neighbouring countries follow El Salvador's lead on crime? Mar 21, 2024

Show notes

In February this year, El Salvador's president Nayib Bukele won re-election with nearly 85% of the vote. His flagship policy after he came to power in 2019 has been the mass arrest of thousands of alleged gang members, mainly young men.

It is estimated that over 100,000 people are now behind bars as part of his crime crackdown. The round-ups have been hugely popular with El Salvador's people as it has improved security and neighbouring countries are taking note.

But critics say following Bukele's approach could threaten democracy, not just in El Salvador but across the continent. So on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking: Will neighbouring countries follow El Salvador's lead on crime?

Contributors: Carlos Dada, director of El Faro, an online newspaper based in El Salvador Katherine Saunders-Hastings, a lecturer in Latin American Studies at the University of London's Institute of the Americas. Will Freeman, Fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York. Monica Pachon , a political scientist and professor at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.

Presenter: David Baker Producer: Farhana Haider Journalism Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley and Liam Morrey

Image Credit: Alex Peña / Stringer via Getty Images

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