Security

What Happened: On July 8, a 16-year-old student was murdered in a resistance-controlled part of Myanmar’s central Dry Zone, or Anyar. After his death, the All Burma Federation of Student Unions accused the local administration under the National Unity Government of “violent conduct,” including the suppression of protests, that resulted in “many undocumented civilian deaths.” The case added to a growing list of episodes where resistance forces have been accused of atrocities and suppression echoing the brutal (although much larger-scale) tactics adopted by their sworn enemy, the military regime.

Our Focus: While resistance forces have taken wide swathes of territory from the Myanmar military in recent months, the situation on the ground is complicated. The resistance groups are riven by frictions and factionalism. In Anyar alone, there is a “dizzying mosaic” of “hundreds of anti-regime outfits,” reports Naw Theresa, a Myanmar-based analyst. Most have only a nominal relationship with the NUG or any higher authority. “The multifarious evolution of Anyar’s resistance landscape has seen some areas devolving into fiefs,” Naw Theresa writes, with turf wars and clashes frequently occurring between neighboring groups. But resistance groups of various affiliations have also been accused of serious crimes against civilians, from murder to sexual abuse, torture, and robbery.

What Comes Next: The issue of crimes committed by resistance groups is a touchy subject, as pro-resistance media and social media influencers generally reject such claims out of hand as junta propaganda – and often attack the accusers in turn. One local resistance official “said that ‘two-thirds’ of Pa-thone-lone abuses are not reported,” as villagers fear being labeled junta collaborators, Naw Theresa says. The persistent issues risk undermining public support for the NUG – although few in Myanmar see the military junta as preferable. After all, “the scope and scale of allegations directed at resistance units pale greatly when compared to the mountain of accusations made against regime forces.”

INTERVIEW

Dr. Lee Sang-lim, a principal researcher at Seoul National University’s Population Policy Research Center and a civilian advisor to the Parliamentary Task Force on the Population Crisis, on the rapid fall in South Korea’s birth rate: “In 2015, fertility rates across all age groups suddenly dropped, a phenomenon known as a period effect… Policy missteps played a significant role in these developments.”

Northeast Asia

On September 12, campaigning will officially kick off in the race for the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party. Because the LDP is the ruling party, the internal leadership election will also determine the next prime minister of Japan. Already, eight people have thrown their hats into the ring and others may join before the Thursday deadline. Koizumi Shinjiro, the young former environmental minister, is one of the early frontrunners. But while he’s a fresh face, Koizumi’s from a strong political dynasty, symbolizing the LDP’s biggest issue: Japanese voters are losing faith that the long-ruling party can actually change.

South Asia

Ethnic conflict in the northeastern state of Manipur has been ongoing since May 2023, but this month the violence took a disturbing turn. For the first time, armed drones were used to conduct attacks, with at least two dead and 12 injured in two separate drone strikes on September 1 and 2. Security officials suggested the escalation was a byproduct of the conflict raging in bordering Myanmar, as armed groups are suspected to have given know-how and equipment to groups in Manipur.

Southeast Asia

Pope Francis touched down this week in Timor-Leste to a raucous and colorful reception. The pontiff’s three-day visit to Southeast Asia’s youngest and most Catholic nation is part of an ambitious 12-day, four-nation tour that is also taking him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore. After arriving in the capital Dili on Monday, the Pope was followed into town and has been mobbed everywhere he has gone. The trip culminated in a Mass that Pope Francis held on the same field where the late John Paul II celebrated a historic liturgy in 1989, during the nation's fight for independence from Indonesia. An estimated 300,000 faithful – more than a fifth of the country’s population – are believed to have attended Tuesday’s Mass, though officials said the real number might have been a lot higher.

Central Asia

Askar Akayev has the dual distinction of having been independent Kyrgyzstan’s first president and also its first president to be ousted in a popular revolution. He’s reportedly seeking a restoration of his “ex-president” status, which would entitle him to a number of benefits under Kyrgyz law – ranging from immunity from criminal prosecution to a monthly allowance. The issue is bound to be controversial, and parliamentarians have mixed opinions.

Myanmar’s civil war has displaced over 3 million people. Due to space constraints in formal camps, some internally displaced people must build their own rudimentary shelters.

Society

Mehram, Arabic for a close male relative, and now a required escort for women in Afghanistan anytime they leave the home.