44 > Next Generation Myanmar Nearly half of youth surveyed agreed that internationals misunderstand Myanmar’s context: 46.4 per cent agreed that the criticism of Myanmar shows that ‘people in the outside world don’t understand Myanmar’. Yet as interviews confirmed that youth hold many different accounts of the situation, it is unclear what foreign observers misunderstand. Several youth suggested in interviews that misleading news and propaganda exacerbated the problem, with some saying media is ‘inciting unrest’ in Myanmar. In interviews and discussions, several youth began thinking about how Myanmar could repair its image. ‘I did not feel bad when international[s] were criticising us. We should not get emotional,’ warned one 22-year-old in Pathein. ‘In the past, Myanmar was seen positively, how can we regain this position?’ Others expressed some optimism. ‘Often in a story, there is a climax, and it is often the most painful moment of the story. But there is always a happy ending. We need to work toward the happy ending,’ said a 26-year-old in Taunggyi. ‘International people have a wrong perception about [Myanmar, and] should help reaching the happy ending of the story.’ This same young person, however, did not believe the solution could come from abroad. ‘It is up to the youth to make Myanmar a good country.’