Myanmar’s history has been defined by cycles of military rule, brief democratic openings and prolonged conflict. The military’s claims of electoral fraud in the 2020 elections provided them a pretext for the coup. The coup led by General Min Aung Hlaing crushed hopes for democratic consolidation. The move triggered mass protests, civil disobedience and armed resistance leading to an all-out civil war. The military, thus, responded with severe crackdowns with mass arrests and extrajudicial killings. Cities turned into battlegrounds and rural areas became resistance strongholds. The junta is now engaged in full-scale warfare with the People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and the ethnic fighters like the Arakan Army, Kachin Independence Army and Karen National Union. However, now the military junta is losing its grip over most of Myanmar. The junta’s inability to govern effectively, coupled with international sanctions, has only further emboldened the resistance forces.
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