When The Window Closed

About this episode

Ola Elvestuen discusses his experiences and insights on Myanmar's political landscape and Norway's involvement.

Episode #528: Ola Elvestuen has devoted his political career—and much of his life beyond politics—to tackling the most urgent environmental and societal challenges facing the global community. A member of Norway’s Liberal Party since 2013, he has served as Minister of Climate and the Environment and held several high-ranking positions in both local and national government. As a young man in the late 1980s, Elvestuen witnessed a world in upheaval: the fall of the Berlin Wall, the ousting of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, and Myanmar’s 8888 Uprising. The latter left a particular mark on him and many in Norway, embedding the Burmese struggle deep within Norwegian politics and foreign policy. During the democratic opening of the 2010s, Norway emerged as an important player, pairing diplomatic support with investments in critical industries such as hydropower, oil and gas exploration, and telecommunications. Yet Elvestuen points to a defining controversy in 2022, when Telenor—Norway’s majority state-owned telecom giant—sold its Burmese operations to entities with close ties to the junta, effectively handing over sensitive user data. The decision drew sharp criticism from…

People in this episode

Guest: Ola Elvestuen

Topics covered

• environmental challenges
• political commentary
• Myanmar history
• international relations
• telecommunications
• human rights

Keywords

• Ola Elvestuen
• Myanmar
• Telenor
• 8888 Uprising
• Norway
• military coup
• human rights
• environmental policy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Norway’s Liberal Party, Telenor

Places: Norway, Myanmar

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