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
China’s government has reportedly brokered an agreement between the Myanmar military and an alliance of armed resistance groups that has made sweeping gains in eastern Myanmar since late last year. In a Chinese- and Kachin-language statement yesterday, the Three Brotherhood Alliance (3BHA, or Northern Alliance) of resistance groups stated that following a round of China-brokered … Read more
On the eve of the third anniversary of the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government (NUG) has reaffirmed its intention to defeat the country’s military dictatorship and build a “new federal democratic union” on its ashes. The NUG, which is spearheading the resistance to military rule, released a joint position statement today along with … Read more
The Chinese idiom, “times make heroes,” aptly captures the current situation of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), a Chinese-speaking rebel group in northeastern Myanmar. This ethnic armed organization (EAO) has tended to attract less attention than some of its peers, such as the well-equipped United Wa State Army and the long-standing Karen National … 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
Yesterday, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement accusing a key armed rebel group in Myanmar of abducting and forcibly recruiting civilians fleeing fighting in northern Shan State. The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), which is currently engaged in an ongoing offensive against Myanmar’s military junta, “is violating the laws of … Read more
An armed resistance group in Myanmar has seized another key border crossing with China, tightening its grip on an important junta stronghold in northeastern Shan State. Local media outlets reported yesterday that forces from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) captured the Yanlonkyaing border gate in the Kokang Self-Administered Zone (SAZ) early on Monday. … 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
An alliance of ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar yesterday reaffirmed its commitment to the overthrow of the country’s military government, following reports that it had engaged in talks with the regime in Naypyidaw. The Three Brotherhood Alliance, made up of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Arakan Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation … 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