Comparing the Responses of Thailand and Myanmar to Covid-19
The two slide shows below compare the responses of Thailand and Myanmar to Covid-19. While Myanmar's response was largely characterized by its violent political climate, alienation of ethnic groups, and weak healthcare system, Thailand's successful response reflected its robust healthcare system for both Thai citizens and non-Thai citizens alike.
Government Measures to Covid-19
New Initiatives during Pandemic
A man buys tea from a tea shop in Yangon, Myanmar. Image from "COVID-19 Second Wave Drives Myanmar Business Closures to New Record." The Myanmar Times. Last modified November 30, 2020. https://www.mmtimes.com/news/covid-19-second-wave-drives-myanmar-business-closures-new-record.html [3].
Myanmar Response to Covid-19
Yangon Region Government distributes pamphlets and Covid-19 masks to citizens in Mahabandoola Park. Image from "Yangon Plans to Relieve Stay-at-home Rules, but Food Stalls to Stay Closed." The Myanmar Times. Last modified December 3, 2020. https://www.mmtimes.com/news/yangon-plans-relieve-stay-home-rules-food-stalls-stay-closed.html [`19].
Employees at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport direct international passengers to hotels for a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Image from "Growing Fears over Thai Coronavirus Cluster from Myanmar." Frontier Myanmar. Last modified December 3, 2020. https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/growing-fears-over-thai-coronavirus-cluster-from-myanmar/ [8].
Thailand Response to Covid-19
UNDP worker distributes mask to older woman in Phuket Province, Thailand. Image from "Thailand’s COVID-19 Response an Example of Resilience and Solidarity: a UN Resident Coordinator Blog." UN News. Last modified August 22, 2020. https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/08/1069191[15].
1. "COVID-19 Response in Myanmar," UNICEF, accessed November 25, 2020, https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/covid-19-response-myanmar.
2. "CoVID-19 Response," SMART Myanmar, accessed November 25, 2020, https://smartmyanmar.org/en/covid-19-response.
3. "A Covid-19 Vaccine Might Be Tough to Distribute in Countries at War," MSN, accessed November 25, 2020, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/a-covid-19-vaccine-might-be-tough-to-distribute-in-countries-at-war/ar-BB1aWavz?ocid=uxbndlbing.
4. "Myanmar COVID-19 National Response and Recovery Plan for the Education Sector (May 2020 - October 2021) - Myanmar," ReliefWeb, accessed November 25, 2020, https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-covid-19-national-response-and-recovery-plan-education-sector-may-2020.
5. "Myanmar Denials Define COVID-19 Response," Human Rights Watch, last modified October 28, 2020, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/17/myanmar-denials-define-covid-19-response.
6. "Myanmar: Humanitarian Action and COVID-19 Response in Rakhine," International Committee of the Red Cross, last modified October 1, 2020, https://www.icrc.org/en/document/myanmar-covid-19-response-rakhine.
7. Nachemson, Andrew. "Racism Is Fueling Myanmar’s Deadly Second Wave of COVID-19." The Diplomat – The Diplomat is a Current-affairs Magazine for the Asia-Pacific, with News and Analysis on Politics, Security, Business, Technology and Life Across the Region. Last modified September 16, 2020. https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/racism-is-fueling-myanmars-deadly-second-wave-of-covid-19/.
8, "Timeline: Myanmar’s government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic," The Irrawaddy, last modified May 26, 2020, https://www.irrawaddy.com/specials/myanmar-covid-19/timeline-myanmars-government-responses-to-the-covid-19-pandemic.html.
9. "Why in Myanmar Hundreds of Thousands of People Haven't Heard of Covid-19," MSN, accessed November 25, 2020, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/why-in-myanmar-hundreds-of-thousands-of-people-haven-t-heard-of-covid-19/ar-BB15TxUS.