For decades, Myanmar has struggled with repressive military control, civil war, and poor governance. While the transition away from full military control started in 2011 and encouraged hopes of democratic reforms, the military managed to maintain tight control over most of the government. In February 2021, a military coup overthrew Myanmar’s government and established a junta in its place. Since then, the military, known as the Tatmadaw, has carried out a brutal crackdown on the millions of people who are opposed to its rule. The junta forces have caused armed conflict, insurgency, and terror among the citizens of Myanmar, and the state of the nation continues to deteriorate.
After gaining independence from the British in 1948, Myanmar has been in an almost constant state of civil war. The Union of Burma was established as a parliamentary democracy, but this form of government only lasted until 1962, when General Ne Win staged a military coup and ruled for the next 26 years. Under Ne Win’s control, the economy quickly fell apart, and widespread corruption and poverty led to massive protests in 1988. During these 1988 protests, Aung San Suu Kyi rose to prominence and formed the National League for Democracy (NLD) along with other activists. In the 2015 general elections, Suu Kyi and the NLD became the de facto leader of Myanmar. During this time, although Suu Kyi was able to give the people hope of democratic freedom and expose them to expanded ideas and economic opportunities, the NLD was unable to strengthen and stabilize the country’s democratic standing.
Following the military coup in 2021, the Burmese people have rallied together to oppose the rule of Tatmadaw. The opposition of the junta and the overall rejection of total military rule have united the rest of the country together and brought different resistance groups together. Specifically, a shadow government called the National Unity Government (NUG) was formed by former parliamentary members during Myanmar’s 2020 general elections. The People’s Defense Force (PDF), NUG’s armed wing, has been expanding continuously as well. With more than 250 units and 65,000 troops, the different militias and units under the PDF share the common goal of eradicating military rule.
The military continues to exert force over the Myanmar population, carrying out mass killings, violent abuse, sexual assault, and torture. The Myanmar military proceeds to ignore calls from other nations to be held accountable for the crimes committed against humanity. Since the coup, junta forces have arrested more than 16,000 pro-democracy supporters on arbitrary causes. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the military has killed over 2,400 people, with at least 273 dying in police or military custody. Tatmadaw’s use of airstrikes and artillery has also resulted in the killing of thousands of civilians, as well as the damages caused to 30,000 civilian infrastructures. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned these attacks, saying, “Attacks on schools and hospitals in contravention of international humanitarian law also constitute one of the six grave violations against children in times of armed conflict strongly condemned by the Security Council.” Across Myanmar, raids and arrests are increasing, as well as the burning of buildings and villages. The conflicts plaguing the country have displaced nearly 1 million people and another 70,000 fleeing to other countries. Desperate humanitarian efforts have been blocked by the junta, which isolates civilian populations from receiving the aid they need.
The power disparity between the military and the resistance forces indicates that the struggle for democracy will be prolonged and not easily achieved within the chaos and turmoil that cloaks Myanmar.
