Photo – AFP
(This English Column is the ISP’s translation of the original Burmese version published on February 06, 2025. Read the original Burmese Column here.)
Pornography is labeled as obscene material and is classified as an illegal, prohibited product in Myanmar. In the past, people had to purchase such content at video stores discreetly, but now, with just an internet connection and a mobile phone, accessing pornography has become effortless—no frantic searching required. Obscene material often includes personal matters deemed inappropriate for public viewing by society. In a culturally conservative country like Myanmar, where open discussions about sexual matters remain taboo, pornography is considered particularly offensive. Legally, distributing sexually explicit content is also prohibited in Myanmar.
However, since the military coup, a new type of “obscene material” has emerged on social media platforms—one that is technically legal and doesn’t violate Myanmar’s cultural norms of decency. Unlike traditional pornography, this content doesn’t feature explicit scenes or sexual acts. So, what do people seek gratification from when watching this material? The answer lies in what’s known as poverty porn. In a broken and deteriorating society, people often turn to the last remnants of their humanity for solace, seeking gratification through poverty porn. Poverty porn refers to images and videos that excessively exaggerate the poverty and suffering of a community, exploiting viewers’ compassion to solicit aid—like setting a trap to evoke pity.
The term poverty porn first appeared in 1981 in an article titled “The Merchants of Misery” by activist Jorgen Lissner. During that time, images of malnourished children suffering from famine in Africa became widely circulated in developed countries. Humanitarian organizations used these images of starving children to appeal to people’s sympathy, raising funds by tugging at heartstrings. Lissner compared these images to pornography, arguing that an individual’s suffering is as private and sensitive as sexual matters. He criticized the act of filming and displaying such misery for mass consumption as unethical. Poverty porn, he noted, focuses solely on Africa’s starving children, poverty, and dilapidated homes, while ignoring the continent’s richness in generosity, hospitality, culture, and resilience.
Ironically, poverty porn is often necessary to awaken people’s altruism. Just as some seek gratification through sexual content, poverty porn allows people to indulge in the remnants of their humanity, gazing longingly at the suffering of others. In Myanmar’s society, where compassion and charitable giving are deeply ingrained values, people are particularly drawn to this form of gratification. On the other hand, in a country plagued by developmental delays and tyrannical governance, every sector is riddled with cracks and decay. These sectors rely heavily on the generosity of volunteers, donors, and charity organizations—akin to a crumbling bridge held together by makeshift repairs.
Regarding donations, appeals often emphasize supporting religious institutions—such as donating luxury cars or ornate golden thrones to monks who “safeguard the Buddhist faith”—over addressing everyday struggles. Overcoming such appeals to donate requires more than just showcasing the tattered, pitiful lives of the poor; it demands a deeper shift in priorities. For instance, while donating to a monastic school might earn a prestigious title like Thiri Sudhamma, feeding a poor family a single meal rarely garners such recognition among donors.
In Myanmar’s society, where compassion and charitable giving are deeply ingrained values, people are particularly drawn to this form of gratification.
As a result, the urgent needs of the impoverished—competing for donors’ attention—can no longer be met through traditional appeals within local communities. In today’s digital age, these appeals must be amplified on social media platforms. Even struggling media outlets in this era of declining viewership have turned to poverty porn to capture attention. Children in poverty, people with disabilities, the elderly, and the sick often become the unwitting subjects of these media campaigns.
Donors, too, play a role in this cycle, seeking to claim the title of “beacon of compassion.” To win public admiration, some donors give interviews to media outlets before publicly adopting abandoned children. While collective donations often fund these adoptions, the media vividly portrays the children’s biological parents as heartless for abandoning their own flesh and blood. Rarely does anyone consider the psychological trauma such videos might inflict on the children involved. Ultimately, the impoverished are forced to trade their dignity for a small sum of aid, experiencing a fleeting moment of relief before returning to their original state of poverty. As the saying goes, “The rich stay rich, the poor stay poor.”
Addressing the nation’s broken systems is the government’s responsibility. Child protection, elderly care, support for people with disabilities, and post-disaster rehabilitation should be managed with public funds by a responsible government. The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement’s failure to fulfill its duties has become a primary fuel for the proliferation of poverty porn.
Much like pornography, poverty porn is addictive—and once hooked, it’s hard to break free. In Myanmar’s social fabric, poverty porn has taken deep root.
However, the sympathy it generates is not a genuine solution to social issues. Myanmar is teeming with various aid organizations. Local writers liken this phenomenon to “milk powders sells the most when there’s no mother’s milk,” meaning that performative charity only thrives because the state has failed its fundamental duty to provide care. How long will Myanmar continue lacking its “mother’s milk”? How long will poverty porn continue to spread unchecked? Unless you can fulfill social welfare, I urge you to leave your cameras—and your desire for public admiration—at home when you offer help. By doing so, you can help curb the spread of this exploitative poverty porn.
Amy is a final-year student specializing in International Relations and Development. She writes articles related to social science.