Myanmar Goes Into Civil War

The nation of Myanmar has experienced deadly battles between groups of civilians. Also known as Burma, Myanmar neighbors Thailand, Bangladesh, China, and India. It had been ruled by armed forces for several decades, finally making the switch to a democratic government in 2011. However, in February 2021, the military seized control of the nation’s government, staging a coup. 

This military surge prompted wide controversy and anger within the country, and even a year later, the nation remains trapped in conflict and chaos. What began as tear gas and severe beatings has turned into air assaults and targeted burning of villages across the nation. Activists and politicians, such as political figure Aung San Su Kyi, have been sentenced to several decades in prison. Officials claim that the violence and terror right now is much worse than those of the prior regimes in the 1980s. 

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, “more than 1500 people have been killed since the coup.” The demonstrations have grown deadlier, with more violence being exercised in the public. Along with this, villages have been experiencing more shooting incidents, especially near the ethnic border regions of the nation.

Peaceful protests vanished as civilians learned that they were no longer a feasible tactic against the regime. There are several targets toward the Myanmar army or police force, even against the politicians. The military has been struggling to keep up its strength, and has faced a shortage of recruitment from its training school. In October 2021, Diplomat Christine Schraner Burgene was the first to claim that the country of Myanmar was officially in a civil war. 

With public demonstrations and violence on the rise, there has been considerable involvement by other nations. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has proposed a diplomatic response to the precarious situation. Generals speak about scheduling an election in 2023. Russia, on the other hand, has provided the coup leaders with direct support, including diplomatic endorsement and other war supplies. The nation’s neighbor, China, has taken a more watchful stance, but is mainly concerned about its gas and oil pipelines coming from the Myanmar coast. China, nevertheless, still experiences instability on its own borderland due to Myanmar and is yet to act on the entire situation.

The ideal outcome for the nations would be to force out the military regime from its power. However, this would require the Western countries’ involvement, according to foreign diplomats. As Myanmar’s social, economic, and political situation continues in its instability, it seems like strong intervention is the only potential solution to the outbreaks in the civil war.