Guest Column
Honor Freed Political Prisoners, Reject Myanmar Junta’s Cynical Schemes
While every political prisoner’s release is welcome, the junta’s “amnesty” must be seen for what it is: cynical manipulation and fraud.
Myanmar’s Resistance Is Getting the China Question Wrong
Claims that China is fully committed to supporting the junta are overblown and risk pushing it closer to the junta. A policy of engaging Beijing would be more fruitful.
China’s Plunder of Myanmar’s Rare Earth Wealth Threatens Global Security
The world must act now to break China’s monopoly on rare earth mining and processing and the environmental and human devastation it wreaks in Kachin State, says Ankit K.
Two Wasted Decades in Thai Politics
Years of political strife and authoritarianism have left Thailand mired in a middle-income trap, losing out to regional neighbors.
The UN and the Long Curse of Opium and Conflict in Myanmar
The latest UNODC survey confirms war-torn country’s status as world’s top opium producer but again fails to point blame at the biggest culprit: its military.
China’s Calculated Brutality and Destruction of Myanmar’s Ethnic Trust
Myanmar’s ethnic armies are defying Beijing’s neocolonial mission in the country: a state of controlled chaos that allows resource extraction and strategic positioning.
On Leadership and Power in Myanmar
In memory of Professor David Steinberg, who passed away last week, The Irrawaddy revisits his 2022 article on how Myanmar political leadership is driven by individual whims rather than institutional...
KIO/KIA’s Unspoken Objective in Myanmar’s Revolution: Uniting the Kachin Into a Nation
Successful Kachin nation building will require the participation of all Kachin groups.
How Ne Win’s Diplomacy Weakened Burma’s Communists
When Burma’s dictator visited Khmer Rouge-controlled Cambodia in 1977, he cunningly exploited power struggles within and between Communist regimes to weaken the Red opposition at home.
The Best Myanmar Can Hope for From Trump Is Benign Neglect
The next U.S president is unlikely to have heard of Myanmar, but his “America First” doctrine and climate inaction could have devastating ripple effects for the country and its people,...
