Abaung Sein* took brief pauses to chew betel as she recollected her family’s flight out of Sittwe, the regional capital of strife-torn Rakhine State in western Myanmar. The elderly Rakhine/Arakanese was enjoying her guilty pleasure as her family settled into a friend’s crowded Yangon flat. “We were lucky that we bought the tickets when we … Read more
More than three years after the Myanmar military seized power in a coup, it has become commonplace to argue that the battlefield is turning against the military and its State Administration Council (SAC). Resistance forces have enjoyed momentum since the launch of Operation 1027, an offensive launched in late October by the Three Brotherhood Alliance … Read more
Since the Three Brotherhood Alliance. a coalition of three ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) — the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and the Arakan Army (AA) — launched Operation 1027 against the military junta on October 27 last year, Myanmar’s long-running civil war has taken a new turn. Its impact … Read more
On February 8, the rebel Arakan Army (AA) seized Mrauk-U, the former capital of the Arakan kingdom in Rakhine State, western Myanmar, along with the towns of Minbya and Kyauktaw. In fact, since the resumption of war between the AA and the country’s military junta on November 13, the AA has now successfully taken over … Read more
Ngapali Beach, in the southern part of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, is facing tough times. Once known for attracting an international crowd of holidaymakers, the country’s premier beach resort is currently experiencing its lowest tourist numbers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation here has deteriorated in recent weeks, three years after a military … Read more
More than 100 members of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police have fled their posts and taken shelter in Bangladesh to escape fighting between Myanmar security forces and an ethnic minority army, an official with Bangladesh’s border agency said Monday. It is the first time that Myanmar forces have been known to flee into Bangladesh since an … Read more
On October 27, the same day as the Three Brotherhood Alliance of ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) launched their Operation 1027 offensive, Myanmar’s military junta relaxed its curfew across major cities. Citing “improved security,” the regime shortened the curfew in Yangon and completely removed it in Mandalay and a handful of other cities. Such relaxations were … Read more
Despite a temporary ceasefire brokered by China, ethnic rebel forces have continued to make significant gains in northeastern Myanmar, reportedly capturing a significant town and a trade zone close on the Chinese border. Fighting has been raging since late October, when the Three Brotherhood Alliance – a group consisting of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance … Read more
Myanmar’s military has taken part in China-brokered peace talks with representatives of an alliance of ethnic minority armed groups that has made significant territorial gains since late October, the military and Chinese government confirmed yesterday. Fighting has been raging in Shan State since late October, when the Three Brotherhood Alliance – made up of the … Read more
Coming nearly three years after the military coup d’état of February 1, 2021, “Operation 1027” marks a defining moment in Myanmar’s revolution. This operation is not merely a military offensive; it is also a symbol of the enduring spirit and resourcefulness of Myanmar’s peoples and their People’s Defense Forces (PDFs), their burgeoning alliances with the … Read more