ASEAN Beat

The Myanmar Junta: Live by the Gun, Die by the Gun?

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ASEAN Beat | Security | Southeast Asia

The Myanmar Junta: Live by the Gun, Die by the Gun?

Current trends suggest Myanmar’s military regime will be toppled the same way it came to power: through the use of force.

The Myanmar Junta: Live by the Gun, Die by the Gun?

Fighters from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) pose with captured arms after overrunning a military outpost in Kokang, northern Shan State, Nov. 28, 2023.

Credit: Facebook/ The Kokang

In October 2023, three ethnic-based armed opposition groups launched Operation 1027, a joint military campaign against the Myanmar junta. Since then, a large swathe of junta-held territory has fallen into the hands of the opposition forces. The fallen territories include important border crossings, several towns and major population centers, and even military bases. 

If the current trend on the battlefield continues, barring external diplomatic or military intervention the junta will likely collapse in front of a gun barrel. 

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