ARTICLES

Myanmar citizens gathering outside the Royal Thai Embassy

26 Mar 2024

Conscription in Myanmar Pushing Young Men to Choose Sides

Kyi Sin|Thida

The State Administration Council is seeking to revive Myanmar’s policy of conscription. Instead of bolstering national solidarity, it will undermine it.

Armed Conflict Myanmar

19 Feb 2024

New Battlefront Emerging in Western Myanmar

Kyaw Hsan Hlaing

The Arakan Army (AA) has gained significant ground against State Administration Council (SAC) troops in western Myanmar. The AA’s gains compound SAC losses in other parts of the country since Operation 1027 in October.

Armed Conflict Myanmar

31 Jan 2024

What is Laos’ Game Plan for the Myanmar crisis?

Sharon Seah|Moe Thuzar

Whether it was Laos' effort in persuading the SAC to send a representative or the junta changing their minds, Laos should continue to harness a family effort to get the junta to adhere to the grouping’s Five Point Consensus.

ASEAN Laos Myanmar

24 Jan 2024

The Myanmar Junta’s Unhappy New Year

Wai Moe

Things are not going well for the ruling junta in Myanmar, no matter how hard it tries to ignore the bad news on the battlefield.

Armed Conflict Myanmar

8 Dec 2023

October Offensive by Resistance Forces Exposes Gaps in Myanmar Military

Maung Maung Oo|Kyi Sin

A military offensive by anti-junta forces in October has exposed weaknesses in State Administration Council forces. While resistance forces seek to overthrow the junta, challenges remain given differing interests.

Myanmar Myanmar Military

30 Nov 2023

Myanmar-Russia Relations Since the Coup: An Ever Tighter Embrace

Ian Storey

Myanmar-Russia relations have strengthened considerably since Moscow acknowledged the Tatmadaw’s seizure of power on 1 February 2021, and the junta endorsed the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. This Long Read focuses on the four main areas of Myanmar-Russia cooperation since the coup: diplomatic validation; defence; energy; and commerce and tourism.

Myanmar Myanmar-Russia Relations

28 Nov 2023

Time to Collect: The SAC’s Actions Come to Bite Myanmar’s Economy

Romain Caillaud

Myanmar’s civil war is showing up the clumsiness of the junta’s economic policies. The poorest households and workers will be the hardest hit.

Myanmar Myanmar Economy Myanmar Military

17 Nov 2023

Myanmar Military Losing Control: A Culmination of Past Policy Errors?

Wai Moe

Years of shifting resources away from the Myanmar army and changing requirements for its senior ranks have led to its current weaknesses on the battlefield. Are the junta fielding men of straw?

Myanmar Myanmar Military

Labourers unload sacks of rice from a ship along a jetty in Yangon on June 28, 2023. (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP)

15 Nov 2023

Myanmar’s Recent Crackdowns on Corruption: Law Enforcement or Reputation Repair?

Wai Moe

Two former confidantes of Myanmar’s Senior General have been convicted of corruption and sentenced to prison. Their oversight of economic portfolios, and failure to stabilise rising prices, suggest that they are also scapegoats for the regime’s policy failures.

Myanmar Myanmar Military Myanmar Politics