Charlotte Galloway: Personal Statement on Sean Turnell

Dr. Charlotte Galloway is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Australian National University, where she is also a current board member (and former director) of the Myanmar Research Centre.

My personal statement on Sean

I first met Sean in 2002 at the International Burma Studies conference in Gothenberg. The world of academics researching Myanmar was quite small – regardless of our academic discipline (I am an art historian) we all shared news and updates with each other. From the outset Sean showed genuine interest in what others were doing in-country and we have remained in contact since. During the 2000s when travel to Myanmar was still quite restrictive, I and others would email Sean on our return and pass on the latest petrol prices, exchange rates and price of household appliances as they appeared in local newspapers – this was often the most reliable economic data he could get. As travel opened up after 2010 we would cross paths more often at conferences, and then later, during visits in Myanmar.  

I was delighted when Sean was appointed economic advisor to the NLD – it was fitting recognition of his commitment to Myanmar and helping the country improve its financial systems as it re-engaged with the rest of the world. Sean has always been publicly open about the state of Myanmar’s economy, and has never sugar-coated the challenges that Myanmar faces. Even as his commitments within Myanmar grew he has remained very generous with his time. He enthusiastically agreed to be a lead speaker at the ANU-University Yangon-Yunnan University conference I co-convened at UY in 2019. Sean would always find time to speak with younger scholars and support them where he could. Sean has always acted with the utmost integrity. Even though he has been working closely with the NLD government he has never once said anything to me that could in any way be considered a breach of confidentiality – he took his role seriously and always acted with the highest ethical standards, yet another of his admirable character traits which also includes good humour and enduring patience.  

My last communication with Sean was on December 1 2020. I had been in touch to ask some questions about education funding as I and ANU colleagues were drafting the higher education components for Myanmar’s next education strategic plan. Sean and I shared we were planning for retirement from our academic jobs, and were looking to spend more time focusing on our Myanmar projects. As always Sean was so encouraging and upbeat, and was looking forward to returning to Myanmar in late January 2021, to resume his work once the elected government had been sworn in. No-one anticipated what would follow. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about Sean, my colleagues in Myanmar and indeed the whole nation. For the vast majority in Myanmar it is a terrible situation not of their making. Sean has been unjustly caught up in this – we all want to see him back home. 

Charlotte Galloway 

Honorary Associate Professor 

College of Arts and Social Sciences, ANU 

February 2022