Following the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar saw a level of anarchy not seen since the 1950s. The unrelenting civil war is multilayered in its reasoning. The core issues at stake in the conflict that pits a brutal dictatorship against a wide coalition of opponents are fueled by a long list of grievances. The deliberately ignored undercurrents are the true answer to this truly horrifying situation.
Myanmar’s unrelenting and unceasing civil war has been a great cause of distress globally. With the other dire consequences, including economic downfall, it’s a distressing conundrum that needs to be resolved at the earliest. However, the question posed here is the reason behind this unrelenting two year civil war. The deliberately ignored undercurrents are the true answer to this truly horrifying situation.
In retrospect, the Tatmadaw, or Myanmar’s military is terrorizing the populace even more. With both parties unwilling to relent, it’s unlikely for the conflict to cease in the immediate future.
The voice of the people echoes in Myanmar
Following the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar saw a level of anarchy not seen since the 1950s. The State Administration Council (SAC) of the junta is having difficulty enforcing power over substantial portions of the nation.
In Myanmar, the coup has resulted in tectonic upheavals. The Tatmadaw, or Myanmar’s military, is currently battling for its own existence, something it hasn’t done in more than 70 years.
The crisis has drawn news and interest on a global scale. The ignored undercurrents highlight the core issues at stake in this conflict, that sets a brutal dictatorship against a wide coalition of opponents fueled by a list of grievances.
Both the once-peaceful country’s heartlands and the periphery, which has long seen its own cycles of bloodshed, are now rife with fighting for their rights and revenge seems to be the hum of the valley lately.
Glossed over undercurrents in Myanmar’s strife with itself
The citizens claim that Tatmadaw and the SAC regime are now feeling the effects of their actions, whether from their heinous acts of brutality, widespread corruption, or policy reversals. Long lists of resentful victims have suddenly found a common cause as a result of decades of broken ceasefires, egregious human rights crimes, self-serving policies, and bad faith agreements.
The Tatmadaw is still in denial of how much its own acts have fostered the armed insurgency.
The effect of the Civil Disobedience Movement, which destroyed the public health system and led to a poorly controlled COVID-19 third wave that killed tens of thousands of people, was magnified by senseless violence against protesting medical professionals.
The burning of towns in the central dry zone, intended to frighten locals, is instead inspiring previously passive people to back opposition organizations.
The ever-rising injustices have reached a critical point, and citizen have decided they will no longer merely stand by and see their country and their lives get ruined.
Myanmar’s future ahead in this fragmented resistance landscape
Following the coup in 2021, the Tatmadaw faced opposition on an unprecedented scale. To oppose the junta, multiple lines of resistance have developed, with the NUG regarded as the nominal head attempting to coordinate these many activities.
Even if the NUG sings from the same hymnal, the project is still fragmented. The grass-roots structure of this multi-stranded resistance movement, irredentist conceptions of ethno-territoriality, and overlapping war economies imply that the NUG faces a difficult challenge in forging a real national movement united beyond having a common adversary.
The internal dynamics of the EAOs themselves differ, wherein similar ideological goals exist, but they view the current struggle as a chance to gain territory when the dust settles.
The international community must also play a significant role. To drive the warring parties onto a road of de-escalation as well as to address justice and responsibility for the mayhem that has occurred since 2021, institutions like ASEAN should intervene more proactively.
It’s seems as if inhabitants of Myanmar have decided that they are going to receive their due and their rights over their lives.