Internal conflict in Myanmar

(Redirected from Internal conflict in Burma)

The internal conflict in Myanmar refers to fighting between government soldiers and rebels in Myanmar, which began shortly after the country, formerly known as Burma, separated from the United Kingdom in 1948. The government of Myanmar has fought different rebel groups from different ethnic minorities. The cause of the conflict is the government's refusal to give minority groups such as the communists and the Karen people the amount of political representation that they want. Since the beginning of the fighting, hundreds of thousands of civilians in Myanmar have been killed and millions have become refugees.

Internal conflict in Myanmar
Date2 April 1948[2] – present
(76 years, 4 months, 3 weeks and 6 days)
Location
Myanmar (Burma)
Status

Ongoing

  • Fighting since Myanmar separated from the United Kingdom in 1948
  • Major ethnic fighting in Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Rakhine, and Shan State
  • In 2011, the military government stops their rule over Myanmar
  • Numerous peace deals signed by many groups since 2011
  • Ongoing violence between government soldiers and rebels
Territorial
changes
Partially independent "self-administered zones" created for ethnic minorities in 2010
Belligerents

Myanmar Republic of the Union of Myanmar

  • Flag of the Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) of Myanmar.svg Myanmar Armed Forces

Past combatants:
Flag of Burma (1948–1974).svg Union of Burma (1948–1962)

Flag of Myanmar (1974–2010).svg Military governments (1962–2011)

DKBA (1994–2010)

Rebel groups[note 1]
Fighting Peacock Flag.png ABSDF (since 1988)
Infobox AA.png Arakan Army (since 2009)
ARSA (since 2016)
DKBA-5 Buddhist Flag Variant.svg DKBA-5 (since 2010)
Kachin Independence Army flag.svg KIO (since 1961)

Karen National Union Flag.png KNU (since 1949)

Flag of the Karenni Army.png Karenni Army (since 1949)
New Mon State Party flag.svg MNLA (since 1958)
Flag of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.svg MNDAA (since 1989)
Flag of the NDAA.png NDAA (since 1989)
Shan State Army-North flag.png SSAN (since 1971)
Shan State Army (South) Flag.svg SSAS (since 1996)
Flag of the Ta'ang National Liberation Army.svg TNLA (since 1992)
Flag of the United Wa State Party.svg UWSP (since 1989)

...and others
Supported by:
 China (alleged)[1]

Commanders and leaders

Myanmar Htin Kyaw
(President of Myanmar)
Myanmar Sein Win
(Minister of Defence)
MyanmarFlag of the Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) of Myanmar.svg Min Aung Hlaing
(Commander-in-Chief)
MyanmarFlag of the Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) of Myanmar.svg Soe Win
(Deputy Commander-in-Chief)

Infobox AA.png Twan Mrat Naing
Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi (ARSA)
Karen National Union Flag.png Naw Zipporah Sein
Karen National Union Flag.png Saw Mutu Say Poe
Flag of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.svg Pheung Kya-shin
Flag of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.svg Yang Mao-liang
United Wa State Army flag.png Bao Youxiang
United Wa State Army flag.png Wei Hsueh-kang

Strength

Flag of the Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) of Myanmar.svg 492,000[note 2]

Fighting Peacock Flag.png 600[5]–1,000[6]
Infobox AA.png 1,500–2,500[7]
DKBA-5 Buddhist Flag Variant.svg 1,500[8]
Kachin Independence Army flag.svg 8,000[9]
Former flag of the Karen National Liberation Army.svg 6,000
Flag of the Karenni Army.png 500–1,500
New Mon State Party flag.svg 800+ (2,000 reserves)[10]
Flag of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.svg 3,000–4,000[11]
Flag of the NDAA.png 4,000
Shan State Army-North flag.png 8,000
Shan State Army (South) Flag.svg 6,000[12]–8,000
Flag of the Ta'ang National Liberation Army.svg 1,500+[13]
United Wa State Army flag.png 20,000[14]–25,000[15]
Unknown numbers of various other factions


Total:
70,000–80,000[16]

Casualties and losses

130,000[20]–250,000[21] total killed

600,000–1,000,000 displaced or fled abroad[22]

Internal Conflict In Myanmar Media

Related pages

Notes

  1. Only active and/or large rebel groups are shown.
  2. This number includes soldiers not actively fighting rebels. The armed forces also have an additional 72,000 reserve (backup) soldiers.[3]

References

  1. Richard Michael Gibson (2011). The Secret Army: Chiang Kai-shek and the Drug Warlords of the Golden Triangle. John Wiley and Sons. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-470-83018-5.
  2. Lintner, Bertil; Wyatt (maps prepared by), David K. (1990). The rise and fall of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB). Ithaca, N.Y.: Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University. p. 14. ISBN 0877271232. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. International Institute for Strategic Studies; Hackett, James (ed.) (2010). The Military Balance 2010. London: Routledge, pp. 420-421. ISBN 1-85743-557-5.
  4. Heppner & Becker, 2002: 18–19
  5. "ABSDF". Myanmar Peace Monitor. 6 June 2013.
  6. Rotberg, Robert I. (June 1998). Burma. ISBN 0815791690.
  7. "'I Want to Stress That We Are Not the Enemy'". 12 June 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  8. "DKBA-5". Myanmar Peace Monitor. 6 June 2013.
  9. AP, 4 May 2012, Myanmar state media report battles between government troops, Kachin rebels killed 31
  10. "NMSP". Myanmar Peace Monitor. 6 June 2013.
  11. "47 Govt Troops Killed, Tens of Thousands Flee Heavy Fighting in Shan State". irrawaddy.org. 13 February 2015.
  12. Burma center for Ethnic Studies, Jan. 2012, "Briefing Paper No. 1" http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/BCES-BP-01-ceasefires(en).pdf
  13. "TNLA". Myanmar Peace Monitor. 6 June 2013.
  14. Johnson, Tim (29 August 2009). China Urges Burma to Bridle Ethnic Militia Uprising at Border. The Washington Post.
  15. Davis, Anthony. "Wa army fielding new Chinese artillery, ATGMs". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  16. "Armed ethnic groups". Myanmar Peace Monitor. 10 January 2013.
  17. Pavković, 2011: 476
  18. Bertil Lintner (1999). Burma in revolt: opium and insurgency since 1948. Bangkok: Silkworm Press. ISBN 978-974-7100-78-5.
  19. Myanmar: Armed forces. Encyclopedia of the Nations.
  20. Modern Conflicts - Death Tolls .pdf
  21. "De re militari: muertos en Guerras, Dictaduras y Genocidios". Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  22. Janie Hampton (2012). Internally Displaced People: A Global Survey. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-54705-8.