Myanmar earns perennial pariah status in SE Asia (Opinion)
Myanmar is under the control of a brutal military regime, and a wider civil war could yet occur.
Is Myanmar descending into civil war as the country's ruthless military crack down on all opposition and continue to battle ethnic armed groups?
Myanmar’s coup d’état on 1 February seems like a distant memory. Indeed, the world’s media has moved on whilst Myanmar’s ruthless security forces continue to terrorise, abduct and kill unarmed civilians who want nothing other than a democratically governed country.
Myanmar – formerly the Union of Burma – was an impoverished state after gaining independence from Britain in 1948. Ever since the first military coup in 1962, the Tatmadaw has ruled with repressive force, repeatedly and violently putting down all forms of protest.
Sitting comfortably in the West, we cannot comprehend the utter brutality of this regime. A United Nations
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Defence Notes
-
![Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures]()
Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures
Multiple countries have been deploying small arms as the last line of drone defence due to their multiple operational and tactical advantages.
-
![Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering hints at export success for AME assault rifle family]()
Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering hints at export success for AME assault rifle family
The Singapore-based technology company unveiled its new rifle family at this week’s airshow. Chen Chuanren spoke with the ST Engineering’s head of small arms to find out more about how the weapons have been refined.
-
![High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?]()
High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?
Any potential ‘Arctic Sentry’ mission would be months in the planning, but with tensions high in the region given the US’s push for Greenland, NATO countries will need to continue to emphasise their commitment to the region, analysts have said.
-
![Venezuela prepares personnel and equipment for a potential second US attack]()
Venezuela prepares personnel and equipment for a potential second US attack
Defence Minister Gen Vladimir Padrino López has declared that the Venezuelan armed forces “will continue to employ all its available capabilities for military defence”.
-
![As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues]()
As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues
The UK’s defence spending commitments remain uncertain as the government’s Defence Investment Plan, which had been due by the end of 2025, is yet to be published.
