ISP Column: Most Read and Engaged Columns 2025

Photo – AFP

“ISP Column: Most Read and Engaged Columns 2025” (English Version) was published on February 26, 2026, This is the ISP’s translation of the original Burmese version published on December 30, 2025. This publication compiles the Top 10 columns most read by our audiences and that generated the highest audience engagement, selected from the 105 ISP Columns published by ISP-Myanmar between January 25 and December 26, 2025.

▪️Editor Note

Another year has drawn to a close. For the people of Myanmar, the past twelve months have been anything but easy, marked by the worst of both natural and man-made disasters. The ISP Column was created as a platform for public thought and reasoned debate. True to this aim, we received numerous submissions—particularly from conflict-affected areas—which our team carefully verified and published. While the section is primarily in Burmese, we also publish English-language pieces from foreign contributors, as well as selected translations for our English-reading audience. Over the year, we featured 105 articles spanning politics, society, culture, and natural disasters. The views and opinions expressed in these columns are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of ISP-Myanmar; the editorial team applies only minimal editing and does not interfere with the authors’ views. To capture the conversations that defined 2025, we have curated ten pieces that attracted the strongest engagement and were most widely shared by our readers.

Poverty Porn in Myanmar

This column was published on February 6, 2025 and the most read, debated and shared in 2025. It critiques the rise of “poverty porn” in Myanmar. It raises a critical question: Is it ethical to exploit personal suffering to solicit aid, effectively using human dignity as bait for compassion?

No More Beer in Rakhine

In this column, the author examines the fallout of the Arakan Army’s ban on junta-produced alcohol in Rakhine State. As beer disappears and prices skyrocket, the columnist highlights the severe health risks for Rakhine’s consumers relying on local moonshine. 

“A License to Kill” Has Emerged in Myanmar

This column was published on February 26, 2025, and was the third most-read column of the year. It argues that the junta’s new Private Security Services Law pours fuel onto the fire of Myanmar’s conflict. By legitimizing private armed groups, the author warns of a new layer of complexity.

Prioritize Human Lives

Published on April 2, 2025, this column was the fourth most read of the year. In the wake of the March 28 Mandalay-Sagaing Earthquake, this column calls on the SAC to immediately recall CDM health workers with full security guarantees. The author asserts that in the face of a natural disaster, humanitarian necessity must take precedence over political conflict.

Celebritizing Politicians

Published on March 2, 2025, this piece became the fifth most-read column among the audience. This article suggests that while public figures (aka online celebrities) are crucial to the movement, their roles in political leadership must be carefully weighed to ensure they do not undermine the revolution’s values and norms.

A Door the Military Leader Dares Not Open

Published on February 4, 2025, this column examines whether the junta leader—who currently concentrates absolute power in his roles as Acting President, Prime Minister, and Commander-in-Chief— is willing to reopen parliament and share authority. This article ranked as the sixth most-read and debated column of the year.

How to Save the Youth?

Published on February 23, this article ranked as the seventh most-read column of the year. It analyzes the plight of urbanites—including those previously disengaged from politics—who face intense security anxiety due to conscription but are unable to flee the country or reach resistance-controlled regions.

The Myanmar Earthquake Crisis and the Indecisive Regime

Published on April 11, 2025, this piece ranked as the eighth most-read and debated column of the year. It highlights the regime’s concerningly low rehabilitation budget and criticizes the National Disaster Management Committee for prioritizing symbolic photo-ops over strategic relief efforts.

Social Punishment, Social Justice, and Mob Mentality

Published on July 1, 2025, this column ranked as the ninth most-read and engaged-with piece of the year. The author argues that unchecked social media punishment resembles a “mob witch hunt” rather than a systematic judicial process, and questions whether such actions can truly deliver justice.

The Last Arc of Humanity

Published on February 14, 2025, this was the year’s tenth most popular column. It delivers a poignant satire of the social media age, where intellectuals are displaced by the attention economy. The author argues that civilization’s collapse will come not from war, but from our collective willingness to cheer on mediocrity.