Where the Myanmar Junta Fears To Tread

Where the Myanmar Junta Fears To Tread

Magazine Visits to four different locations in Myanmar, all in varying stages of control by resistance groups. A Chin National Army checkpoint on the road between Camp Victoria and Thantlang in Myanmar’s Chin State. Credit: Rajeev Bhattacharyya Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing admitted in February 2023 that the regime only has full control of … Read more

Unforgettable Episodes From a 21-Day Covert Assignment in Myanmar

Unforgettable Episodes From a 21-Day Covert Assignment in Myanmar

Reporting from Myanmar has always been challenging, even a dangerous endeavor. For decades, Myanmar under military rule was hard for journalists to access. When the country was under quasi-civilian governments (2011-2021), democratic reforms were initiated, including the restoration of the freedom of the press. This facilitated reporting from regions that had been reeling under instability … Read more

Myanmar Has Had Anti-Junta Uprisings Before. The Spring Revolution Is Different.

Myanmar Has Had Anti-Junta Uprisings Before. The Spring Revolution Is Different.

Advertisement Myanmar has been ruled by a military junta for most of the years since it emerged independent from British colonial rule in 1948. The country’s journey as a parliamentary democracy ended in 1962 when General Ne Win toppled the government and held power for the next 26 years.  He stepped down after the protests … Read more

The Burning of Thantlang, 2 Years On

The Burning of Thantlang, 2 Years On

Advertisement September 23 marked the second anniversary of the Myanmar military’s brutal attack on Thantlang, a town in Chin State close to the country’s border with India. The assault, which saw junta troops set fire to much of the town and shoot dead a local pastor who attempted to extinguish the fires, forced around 10,000 … Read more

Meet the Extraordinary Fighters of Myanmar’s Resistance

Meet the Extraordinary Fighters of Myanmar’s Resistance

Advertisement Myanmar’s military, which grabbed power through a coup in February 2021, is up against a powerful, armed resistance. The present resistance is far more widespread and involves a larger number of people than seen in past uprisings against previous military regimes in the country. People from diverse backgrounds have plunged headlong into the resistance … Read more

Myanmar Junta Will Be Toppled, Say Soldiers Captured by Resistance Groups

Myanmar Junta Will Be Toppled, Say Soldiers Captured by Resistance Groups

ASEAN Beat | Security | Southeast Asia Two Myanmar security forces captured by resistance groups made some startling revelations about working conditions in the government and their perception about the ongoing conflict.  Advertisement The military regime in Myanmar formed after the coup on February 1, 2021, will be defeated by the opposition, said two security personnel captured by resistance … Read more

The Women of Myanmar’s Spring Revolution

The Women of Myanmar’s Spring Revolution

Magazine Women play crucial roles in Myanmar’s anti-coup resistance, as fighters, fundraisers, and activists. Women functionaries of the Chin National Army take part in a morning drill at Camp Victoria in Myanmar’s Chin State. Credit: Rajeev BhattacharyyaAdvertisement Women in Myanmar enjoyed a high degree of freedom and power before the military coup in 1962.  Women’s … Read more

Resistance Medical Teams Brave Bombs and Bullets to Provide Healthcare in Myanmar’s Chin State

Resistance Medical Teams Brave Bombs and Bullets to Provide Healthcare in Myanmar’s Chin State

Dr Amos and his team prepare a patient for surgery at the hospital in Thantlang, in Myanmar’s Chin State. Credit: Dr. Amos Advertisement The Myanmar junta’s absence from large parts of the country as a result of the ongoing civil war has prompted the opposition National Unity Government (NUG) and resistance groups and individuals aligned … Read more

When the Myanmar Junta Burns Villages

When the Myanmar Junta Burns Villages

Advertisement Burned, bombed, and abandoned villages have become a common sight across Myanmar since the military coup of February 1, 2021, with regions that are at the vanguard of the anti-junta resistance suffering more than other areas of the country. In the course of my travels between January and March, I noticed that while only … Read more

Snapshots of Life in Myanmar’s IDP Camps

Snapshots of Life in Myanmar’s IDP Camps

Photo Essays | Society | Southeast Asia The Diplomat captures how those who were forced to flee their homes cook, eat and play in camps for the displaced in Chin State and Sagaing Region. Advertisement The conflict in Myanmar has displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes across the country, with some regions being impacted more than … Read more