(Kyaw Htet Aung’s OP_ED post from THE DIPLOMAT on 26 April 2025.)
China Decides How Far the Resistance Can Go in
Myanmar: China has a growing ability to dictate outcomes on the ground in Myanmar.
For resistance forces, the implications are profound.
Since the February 2021 military coup, Myanmar has
descended into unprecedented chaos. The country has fractured under the weight
of violent repression and grassroots resistance across the country. In just
over four years, more than 500 new armed groups have emerged nationwide, adding
to the already long standing ethnic armed organizations (EAOs).
What began as sporadic guerrilla warfare has escalated into a full-scale, multifront conflict. Over 16,000 armed clashes have erupted between the junta’s forces and various resistance groups, marking one of the most intense civil conflicts in Southeast Asia in recent history.