Topic Archive

Will Myanmar’s Brutal Military Remain United?

4.2k

Analysis

By Bertil Lintner

The current regime faces an unprecedented war in the Burmese homeland and its ruinous policies must be testing the patience of its crony financial backers.

Myanmar Junta Chief Honors His Predecessors

5.8k

Burma

By The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s first post-independence dictator, the “butcher” of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising and ultranationalist monk U Wirathu are among those honored by Min Aung Hlaing.

Myanmar Regime Still Parachuting Army Officers Into Senior Govt Roles

3.5k

Burma

By The Irrawaddy

Military officers have taken over key positions in the civil service since the coup.

Mass Exodus: Successive Military Regimes in Myanmar Drive Out Millions of People

5.7k

Editorial

By The Irrawaddy

Ending military rule forever is the only way to break a pattern dating to 1962 that has seen 10% of the country’s 54 mn people flee in search of a more secure future.

On Leadership and Power in Myanmar

4.7k

Guest Column

By David I. Steinberg

Min Aung Hlaing’s coup and its aftermath remind us that power in Myanmar has always been exercised as a personal prerogative of leadership, whether military or civilian.

The Worst Sinners Against Democracy in Myanmar

5.3k

Commentary

By Naing Khit

Since the coup, an already sinister list has become much darker, with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing outdoing even his evil predecessors.

Myanmar Military’s Long History of Executing its Enemies

4.9k

Guest Column

By Bertil Lintner

A political dissident and a rebel army officer were both executed by the then junta in the 1970s.

Thailand’s Special Envoy Risks Becoming a Tool of Myanmar Junta

8.2k

Guest Column

By Bertil Lintner

Pornpimol Kanchanalak should recall the history of bilateral ties before putting too much stock in a ‘special relationship’ between Bangkok and the Myanmar military.

Junta Watch: Regime Chief’s Thingyan Party Backfires; Billions Wasted on Honorary Titles for Dictators and More

5.7k

Junta Watch

By The Irrawaddy

Also this week, the regime goes into defensive mode as it puts its troops on “emergency alert” and Karen State has become the deadliest place in Myanmar for junta soldiers.

Myanmar Regime Leader Awards Himself Two Highest Honorary Titles

5.2k

Burma

By The Irrawaddy

Min Aung Hlaing honored his predecessors and artists from British colonial times with posthumous medals.

Japan’s ‘Special Relationship’ With Myanmar Has Abetted Decades of Military Rule

7.2k

Guest Column

By Bertil Lintner

It is a historical irony that Armed Forces Day, commemorated on March 27, marks the day in 1945 that Gen. Aung San’s army rose up against Imperial Japan.

Myanmar’s Dictator Shows Unparalleled Arrogance and Self-Regard 

9.1k

Commentary

By Naing Khit

Regime boss Min Aung Hlaing is also unrivaled in his brutality and cruelty, which exceed those of even his notorious predecessors Ne Win and Than Shwe.

Six Decades After the ‘Mother of Coups’, Myanmar Military Maintains Its Brutal Grip

9.0k

Commentary

By Naing Khit

Ne Win’s 1962 coup was the root of the evils that plague Myanmar today. Min Aung Hlaing chose to perpetuate those evils—a choice that will, in time, be his downfall.