Opinion

Kyaw Swar Lin, a protege of the junta boss but untested in combat, takes operational command as the army faces a new wave of battlefield challenges on multiple fronts.

Former intelligence officers, generals and ex-officials continue to publish propaganda books aimed at promoting military rule and rewriting history.

Behind the talk of ‘paukphaw’ ties, the relationship between Beijing and the junta is cynical and transactional, sidelining the wishes of the people of Myanmar.

Driven by Chinese pressure, scam operations have relocated from northern border towns to eastern and southern Shan State and further inland, transforming local economies.

Despite growing discontent within the ranks, Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing may survive—by stepping sideways rather than down.

Growing engagement with the Arakan Army reflects realities on the ground, where Myanmar’s regime has lost control of its western frontier, prompting neighbors to rethink old alignments.

Ethnic armed groups must choose between remaining resource gatekeepers for China or using their mineral wealth to pursue lasting peace and political legitimacy.

The key regional powers appear set to embrace military rule in civilian guise, fundamentally changing the strategic landscape for the resistance and pro-democracy forces.

Corruption and technical deficiencies in China’s defense sector expose those who rely on its hardware to unforeseen consequences—operational, strategic and financial.

At its latest summit, the regional bloc offered more empty rhetoric and continued to push its useless Five Point Conesus, which the junta has ignored for over four years.