Myanmar's Civil War Is Tearing the Country Apart

"But Myanmar's civil war is not just a humanitarian catastrophe-it's a geopolitical fault line. The protracted conflict has displaced 2.6 million people, fueled transnational arms and drug networks, and drawn in outside powers like China and Russia-yet it remains largely absent from international policy debates. Analysts warn that continued neglect could destabilize Southeast Asia for years to come, potentially empowering malign actors across the region."

""War and instability in a country at the cross-roads of Asia have cost the country billions of dollars in lost investment, led to cratering of the domestic economy, and unleashed an explosion of drug, human and weapons trafficking, infectious disease, and a humanitarian crisis that has driven millions into neighboring countries as refugees at the expense of regional stability and development.""

"Following the 2021 coup, Myanmar's military, known as the Tatmadaw, unleashed a violent crackdown on protestors. When bullets and fear emptied the streets, resistance went underground. Today, that resistance has evolved into a full-fledged civil war encompassing a patchwork of People's Defense Forces (PDFs), ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), and local militias. Some of the most powerful EAOs, such as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in the north and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) in the southeast,"

Myanmar's civil war has displaced 2.6 million people and fueled transnational arms and drug networks. China and Russia have engaged, and the conflict has received limited international attention. Analysts warn that prolonged neglect could destabilize Southeast Asia and empower malign regional actors. The United States cites interests in peace, stability, development, and preventing a regional hegemon as threatened by the conflict. The Tatmadaw's 2021 coup triggered a violent crackdown that pushed resistance underground and transformed into civil war among People's Defense Forces, ethnic armed organizations, and militias. Major EAOs like the KIA and KNLA have allied with PDFs, while junta control persists in some territories at high cost.

Read at The Cipher Brief