Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Will #Wales go independent within a decade? For a handful of older nationalists, it’s a moment they’ve spent their lives waiting for. We tracked down the last survivors of Cymru's forgotten militant movement to ask what independence would mean to them. Dispatch with 📸 by Valeria Mongelli #UK 100
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 03/08/2026Kim Aris, son of Aung San Suu Kyi, said photographs released today of his mother meeting the head of an international humanitarian group gave him "a reason to hope". Read more in my report for @npr.org www.npr.org/2026/08/03/n... #Myanmar #WhatshappeninginMyanmarnpr.orgRare photos of ex-Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi give her family hopeKim Aris, son of Aung San Suu Kyi, told NPR THAT photographs of his mother meeting a foreign official gave him "a reason to hope" for the first time since the military coup that ousted her in 2021. 010
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 29/06/2026In Noor's final call, she said she would rather die at sea than suffer her violent husband, says her mother. The last they spoke. With Htet Aung, Ro Min Swe & Ro Zeen Kyi, 📸 Valeria Mongelli, we report from #Rohingya camps on why so many risk these journeys. www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/she-had-l...frontiermyanmar.net‘She had lost all hope here’: Increasing numbers of Rohingya refugees risk dangerous sea crossingsDeteriorating conditions in Bangladesh’s refugee camps are pushing more Rohingya into the hands of human traffickers in the hope of finding a better life in Malaysia or Indonesia. 001
Reposted by LorcanLuke Hunt @luke-hunt.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Recently I had the privilege of speaking about 21st century journalism and working as a war correspondent, with Lorcan Lovett and Fergal Quinn at a seminar held by the University of Limerick. #war #media #UL #Myanmar #Cambodia #media @lorcanlovett.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Uh...youtube.comNew Wars, New Challenges: Conflict journalism in the 21st century (With Luke Hunt and Lorcan Lovett)YouTube video by Journalism at University of Limerick 032
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 02/06/2026Mizo know of #Wales, but few Welsh have heard of #Mizoram. Yet the 2 share deep, complex ties dating to 1890s. After finding #Cymru trinkets & plans for a Welsh-language school in northeast India, Valeria Mongelli & I pulled the thread @foldingrockmag.bsky.social foldingrock.com/the-last-cha...foldingrock.comThe Last Chapel: A Welsh Legacy Hidden in North-East India – Folding RockLorcán Lovett uncovers the influence of Welsh missionaries in Mizoram, reflecting on belonging, faith and colonial legacy, with beautiful photography by Valeria Mongelli. 011
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 01/06/2026Great to join veteran war reporter @luke-hunt.bsky.social on Beyond the Mekong. Watch in full: www.youtube.com/watch?v=46EW... One hypothetical we discuss: what would happen if Aung San Suu Kyi could send a message to #Myanmar's people & that was to stop fighting? #WhatshappeninginMyanmar 031
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 04/05/2026On Kim Aris’s heartfelt plea to see his mother again — a chance his own father was denied before his death — with insights from @crisisgroup.org Thomas Kean on the junta’s plans for Aung San Suu Kyi. www.npr.org/2026/05/03/n... For @npr.org #Myanmar #WhatshappeninginMyanmarnpr.org'I just want to see her again' says son of imprisoned Myanmar ex-leader Aung San Suu KyiOn Thursday, authorities in Myanmar claimed they had transferred Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from prison to house arrest. Her son Kim Aris spoke to NPR about his doubts about the regime's account. 000
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 09/04/2026Min Aung Hlaing plans to attempt negotiations with Aung San Suu Kyi soon, says Naypyidaw source. But imo rumors she'll be transferred from prison to better accommodation by tomorrow are untrue (I’ll be happy to be proved wrong). Read more: lorcanlovett.substack.com/p/about-the-... #Myanmarlorcanlovett.substack.comAbout the Aung San Suu Kyi release rumoursI’ll go out on a limb, and risk looking silly in the process: it won’t happen. Not this Thingyan, anyway. 010
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 04/04/2026Myanmar has a new president and a new military chief. So, is this brutal regime changing course? Definitely not. Discussing the latest on Straight Talk Southeast Asia. open.spotify.com/episode/01Et... #Myanmar #WhatshappeninginMyanmaropen.spotify.comEP130: Non-Shifting Myanmar Politics with Lorcan Lovett 000
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 01/04/2026Arrests of Ukrainians & an American in India raise a question I’ve been exploring: is #Ukraine supporting #Myanmar’s resistance? Separate from the India case are meetings & intelligence sharing. Sources on all sides say: lorcanlovett.substack.com/p/is-ukraine... #WhatshappeninginMyanmarlorcanlovett.substack.comIs Ukraine helping Myanmar’s resistance? (1/2)High-profile arrests in India raise a question I’ve been looking into. Here’s what Myanmar's resistance, Ukraine, and others told me. 000
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 30/03/2026Here’s a #Myanmar explainer on who’s fighting, why & what may come next. Thanks to analysts involved and @aljazeeraenglish.bsky.social for keeping eyes on an overlooked war now getting pulled into global conflict. www.aljazeera.com/features/202... #whatshappeninginMyanmaraljazeera.comWho is fighting in Myanmar’s multi-front civil war?Alliances are fluid in Myanmar's civil war, involving a military regime, ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces. 000
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 27/03/2026Reporting here on how reliant the junta has become on Russia, with insights from analysts and a former #Myanmar military officer trained in St Petersburg. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/... #whatshappeninginMyanmaraljazeera.comRussian weapons, tactics seen in Ukraine are shaping Myanmar’s civil warRussian role felt in Myanmar, from aircraft to waves of conscripts launching 'meat assaults' made infamous in Ukraine. 010
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Draconian action against someone who likely wanted to support a pro-democracy force against a brutal dictatorship. #Myanmar’s people more alone than ever when even those trying to help are punished by Western governments. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03... #whatshappeninginMyanmarabc.net.auQueensland man charged over alleged plans to fight in Myanmar civil warPolice allege Attilio Ivor Filip Dallavalle travelled to Thailand in January with plans to travel onward to Myanmar to engage in "hostile activities" with an armed group engaged in the ongoing conflic... 000
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 02/03/2026My good friend Danny Fenster and his cousin Amy Kurzweil have created a beautiful comic about his time imprisoned in Yangon's Insein jail. It’s a love story really about Danny and his wife Juliana. Here’s a gift link: www.theverge.com/cs/features/... #Myanmar #WhatshappeninginMyanmartheverge.comSmuggling podcasts into a Burmese prisonDanny Fenster was jailed during the coup in Myanmar. This is the story of how he got through it. 032
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 18/02/20261/2 🧵 For most of last year, #Myanmar’s regime clawed back lost ground, with some fragile exceptions. Then came a reversal: the resistance captured the strategic border town of Mawdaung. We visited for the excellent @frontiermyanmar.bsky.social, feature: www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/we-surviv...frontiermyanmar.net‘We survive one day at a time’: The resistance holds on to MawdaungThe Karen National Union-led capture of a key border town in Tanintharyi Region broke a string of regime advances across Myanmar, but life has become harder for civilians amid a blockade and border cl... 110
Reposted by LorcanFolding Rock Magazine @foldingrockmag.bsky.social · 02/02/2026Telling Tales. It's what we do. Issue 004 - out March 12th 2026 Pre-order now: foldingrock.com/shop/standal... 022
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 27/01/2026Met a regime troop in a #Myanmar jail who walked us through his journey from conscript to PoW after his comrades staged a yaba-fueled last stand. His story captures much that’s unraveled there. 📸 Valeria Mongelli @observeruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/interna... #WhatshappeninginMyanmarobserver.co.ukRebels prepare for ‘final battle’ in Myanmar as regime hi...On Monday voting ended in an election that rights groups say wasn’t free or fair. Lorcan Lovett meets people caught on both sides of a bloody conflict 010
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 25/01/2026Reporting for @yle.naamio.social from the ruins of a #Myanmar military base. We also visited families sheltering in the jungle from the military’s airstrikes: yle.fi/a/7-10091456 Myanmar junta concludes its rigged election today. #whatshappeninginMyanmaryle.fiI Myanmar gömmer sig folket i djungeln medan juntan ordnar fuskvalSvenska Yle har besökt en gränsstad i Myanmar som rebellerna precis befriat. ”Vi kan slå juntan om vi håller ihop”, säger soldaterna på plats. 000
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 24/12/2025Independent #Myanmar media faces an existential crisis as the junta readies sham elections in days. When decades-long donors pull out, what comes next? Reporting for @niemanreports.org with pics by Valeria Mongelli #whatshappeninginMyanmar niemanreports.org/myanmar-inde...niemanreports.orgMyanmar’s Independent Media Innovates to Survive - Nieman ReportsAs U.S. funding vanishes for Myanmar's independent press, media competitors turn collaborators to keep reporting alive 087
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 28/11/2025As #USA ends temporary protections for #Myanmar nationals, I spoke with 3 people whose lives are thrown into jeopardy & a diaspora alarmed Washington is lending legitimacy to the junta, which commits routine atrocities. #WhatshappeninginMyanmar #Trump www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...theguardian.com‘A constant fear’: Myanmar nationals face imprisonment back home as US ends protected statusThousands of Myanmar diaspora are at risk of deportation, after the US said they no longer required Temporary Protective Status 040
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 05/08/2025Had a great chat with Ei on the Insight pod. We talk about Aung San Suu Kyi’s awareness of the civil war plus a revamped Karen resistance strategy in eastern #Myanmar and lots more. insightmyanmar.org/complete-sho... open.spotify.com/episode/3sQ3... #whatshappeninginMyanmarinsightmyanmar.orgEpisode #373: Echoes in the Absence — Insight MyanmarField Notes from a Vanishing Nation 040
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 01/08/2025A US lawyer didd a LinkedIn victory lap about securing sanctions relief for #Myanmar regime allies. What he does isn’t illegal, but it deserves to be challenged. So I sent him a bunch of questions. Here’s what unfolded:open.substack.com‘I get lucky’: Challenging the lawyer who helped Myanmar junta suppliersWhen a US lawyer bragged on LinkedIn about lifting sanctions for Myanmar regime allies, I had questions. Here’s what unfolded. 000
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 18/06/2025Exclusive from me & Tin Htet Paing: 🧵1/4: We've obtained daily routine logs + courtroom footage of ousted #Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi — just ahead of her 80th birthday, which she’ll mark in military custody. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j... #whatshappeninginMyanmartheguardian.comLeaked footage and prison logs reveal Aung San Suu Kyi’s life in detentionExclusive: Video and documents give rare glimpse inside daily life of timprisoned civilian leader as she nears her 80th birthday 342
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 09/06/20251/2: Weekend cross-over with Yan Naing exploring two sides of #Myanmar. Yan Naing reports on Trump’s visa ban, and calls out those who escaped the junta but now mock others seeking US resettlement: substack.com/home/post/p-...substack.comTrump said ‘not you’The American Dream pulled us in – but for Myanmar nationals, it vanished like a mirage. 100
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 07/05/2025Our story on the ‘girl sniper’ fighting on the frontline of Myanmar’s civil war has been translated to Japanese -- great to see the #Myanmar coverage reaching Japan courrier.jp/news/archive... #whatshappeninginMyanmarcourrier.jpミャンマー反乱勢力の“同志少女”が戦わなくてはならないもの | 殺した人数は「数えていない」ミャンマー内戦では、若者も戦闘に加わっている一方、女性は「弱い」と考えられて後方業務に回されることが多いという。英紙「ガーディアン」が取材した反乱勢… 010
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 28/04/2025While junta troops skulk through the forest, communists, Muslim fighters, two ethnic Karen armed groups, PDF & militias stand in the open - in one township. A commander in southern #Myanmar mapped it out. Short dispatch, for free subscribers this week: lorcanlovett.substack.com/p/in-liberat...lorcanlovett.substack.comIn Liberated TaguIn Tanintharyi Region, a young rebel commander maps a complex uprising. 021
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 25/04/2025Great job opportunity for journalists / editors who want to cover the #Myanmar revolution for a crucial outlet. 031
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 25/04/2025Will Chin be first state liberated this year? Chatting on this week's Frontier podcast after Kachinland Research Centre's Danseng Lawn. He breaks down how China's support of the #Myanmar junta / clipping the 3BA's wings influences KIA's strategy. #whatshappeninginMyanmar 000
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 23/04/2025German-speaking friends can now read the story of Anina, the young sniper fighting #Myanmar's dictatorship. Something that didn't make the final cut: Anina was born on 20 February, the national day of her ethnic Chin people. www.freitag.de/autoren/the-... #WhatsHappeningInMyanmarfreitag.deKindersoldaten stehen auf beiden Seiten der Front in MyanmarIm Westen von Myanmar gehört die 18-jährige „Anina“ – so ihr „Nom de Guerre“ – zu einer Rebelleneinheit, die die letzten Stützpunkte des Juntamilitärs belagert. Ihre Treffsicherheit als Scharfschützin... 020
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 21/04/2025A captured #Myanmar military captain told us he torched villages. One of several sobering admissions in our Q&A. lorcanlovett.substack.com/p/i-burned-e... #whatshappeninginMyanmarlorcanlovett.substack.com'I burned entire villages': Myanmar military captainWe interviewed a captured soldier in Chin State. 022
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 19/04/2025Will Myanmar’s earthquake reshape its civil war? Analysts, resistance fighters and a military defector share their insights – from protective chants to shifting battle lines – for @aljazeeraenglish.bsky.social aje.io/sln3t1 #whatshappeninginMyanmar #Myanmaraje.ioCould an earthquake shift the balance in Myanmar’s civil war?Aftershocks of Myanmar’s devastating earthquake add new dimension to country’s four-year-long civil war. 011
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 11/04/2025The resistance has just captured Falam, the former capital of Chin State, from the #Myanmar military junta – a hard-earned and significant victory for Chin forces. Here’s why it matters even more: lorcanlovett.substack.com/p/falam-a-tu... #WhatsHappeningInMyanmarlorcanlovett.substack.comFalam: A turning point in Myanmar's revolution?New forces demonstrate capabilities that could reshape the country's future. 0123
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 08/04/2025Anina survived the final assault, helping resistance forces capture Falam. Today, she’s victorious. But the town remains vulnerable to junta airstrikes, and many battles still loom on her horizon. #WhatsHappeninglnMyanmar www.theguardian.com/global-devel...theguardian.com‘I stopped counting after three’: the ‘girl sniper’ fighting on the frontline of Myanmar’s civil warThe country’s drawn out conflict has seen children recruited as soldiers on all sides. At the age of 18, Anina is a seasoned fighter with a feared reputation in her all-male resistance unit 011
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 08/04/202536 people – 33 men & 3 women – died in gold mines in resistance-held Singu, Mandalay after the quake. 80 injured - 9 severely, including 3-year-old girl. Thanks to NUG for quick responses to my enquiries. Difficult access hampers other mine assessments in the region atm. #Myanmar 010
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 07/04/2025HUGE news for the Chin resistance in western #Myanmar: the CNDF and its allies have successfully captured the former Chin capital Falam -- I've being told by multiple sources. Will follow up soon with thread #whatshappeninginMyanmar 020
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 05/04/20251/2 I joined BBC Radio Scotland to discuss #Myanmar: how the #earthquake comes amid a brutal junta and revolution. How that uprising was triggered by the military coup and the junta killing peaceful protesters – never forget. 120
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 01/04/2025The #Myanmar junta is preparing a rare ground offensive to retake parts of Sagaing region amid the #earthquake chaos, reports Irrawaddy. The regime prioritizing crushing the uprising over relief efforts will surprise no one. Can the resistance repel it? #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar 000
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 01/04/2025I spoke live with BBC Radio 4's Today about the #Myanmar people's deep distrust of the regime. Discussed reports of troops arresting those en route to help relief efforts & the military's history of weaponizing aid. Listen from 52:38: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... #whatshappeninginMyanmarbbc.co.ukToday - 01/04/2025 - BBC SoundsNews and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day. 021
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 31/03/20251/2: As #Myanmar reels from a massive earthquake, remember the uprising against its brutal military regime. Teen fighters like the remarkable Anina defend their homes when they should be building their futures. Pics by Valeria Mongelli for @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/global-devel...theguardian.com‘I stopped counting after three’: the ‘girl sniper’ fighting on the frontline of Myanmar’s civil warThe country’s drawn out conflict has seen children recruited as soldiers on all sides. At the age of 18, Anina is a seasoned fighter with a feared reputation in her all-male resistance unit 111
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 31/03/2025After #Myanmar regime leader Min Aung Hlaing called for earthquake aid from "any country or organisation", the Irrawaddy reports that he's snubbed Taiwan's offer of help. #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar 010
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 29/03/2025I just spoke to a frontline commander about his experiences with the #earthquake. Here's what he said: lorcanlovett.substack.com/p/battlefiel... #Myanmar #WhatshappeninginMyanmarlorcanlovett.substack.comBattlefield Earthquake: A Commander's AccountFive minutes that halted a war. 033
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 28/03/2025Buildings and a bridge have collapsed in #Myanmar after an #earthquake so big it caused damage in #Bangkok. Many will need aid, but delivering it likely difficult amid the civil war – and a restrictive military regime. (Video: FB) 040
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 23/03/2025Now Burmese readers can read the story of Ama — one of the brave civilians who remain home despite war raging around them. People like Ama form the invisible backbone of Myanmar’s resistance. ဒီမှာဖတ်ပါ။ #WhatshappeninginMyanmar #Myanmar 010
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 18/03/2025After requests from Myanmar readers, briefly removing paywall on this post about groups leaving NUG command. It’s a bit controversial, but I think anyone following #Myanmar should be aware of what’s happening on the ground. open.substack.com/pub/lorcanlo... #whatshappeninginMyanmaropen.substack.comIs the NUG command falling apart?As several forces leave the parallel government, commanders and an NUG official have their say. 053
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 16/03/2025New dispatch about the heavy cost of a Chin offensive against the #Myanmar junta. www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/... #WhatshappeninginMyanmaraljazeera.com‘Inch by inch’: Myanmar rebels close in on key military base in Chin StateUnder heavy Myanmar air force attacks, Chin rebels pay heavy price for success of ‘Mission Jerusalem’. 041
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 06/03/2025Pleasure reporting with Salai Johnny on a grandmother who remains home despite war raging around her. People like Ama form the resistance's backbone. Read in @frontiermyanmar.bsky.social & enjoy Valeria Mongelli's stunning pics. #WhatshappeninginMyanmar www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/how-could...frontiermyanmar.net‘How could I do any less?’: Chin State’s Mother of ResistanceWhile thousands of civilians flee Myanmar’s war, grandmother Ama and others stay behind, forming the invisible backbone of the anti-junta struggle. 011
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 27/02/20251/5 🧵 Big news for the Chin resistance: rival factions have united to form the Chin National Council, announced yesterday: www.rfa.org/burmese/news... #Myanmar #WhatshappeninginMyanmarrfa.org 120
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 17/02/2025As the #Myanmar junta’s grip weakens in Chin State, two rival camps have emerged within the resistance. Their power struggle is dividing Chin society and could – in the worst case – spark a new wave of violence. Here's my brief explainer on the dispute: lorcanlovett.substack.com/p/the-chin-s...lorcanlovett.substack.comThe Chin split: A simple guideTaking a look at the division in the Chin resistance and what it means for Myanmar's revolution. 031
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 15/02/2025I interviewed Chin leader Dr Sui Khar for Frontier. From a pre-coup encounter with #Myanmar regime boss MAH: "I could read in his face that he underestimates all others. He thinks of himself as a great man." He says Chin, Kachin & Rakhine liberated soon. www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/qa-the-cn...frontiermyanmar.netQ&A: ‘The CNF will be abolished after the revolution’, says Chin leader Sui KharIn a wide-ranging interview, Chin National Front vice chair Dr Sui Khar discusses military strategy, Chin resistance infighting and Min Aung Hlaing’s miscalculations. 130
Lorcan @lorcanlovett.bsky.social · 09/02/2025In Falam, just one Myanmar junta base remains - 120 soldiers trapped and surrounded by resistance forces. I joined Frontier's #WhatsHappeninglnMyanmar to discuss why Operation Jerusalem, the offensive to liberate the town, has proven so challenging for Chin fighters: whimyanmar.com/panic-for-fu...whimyanmar.comWhat's Happening in Myanmar: Panic for Fuel and Fighting for FalamWith Lorcan Lovett, independent journalist and Substack writer, with bylines in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, the Sunday Times and more. This week on What’s Happening in Myanmar, conscripts are barre... 110