This paper will provide an overarching summary of the evolution of the drug economy in Myanmar before shifting the focus to examine how this phenomenon’s scope and characteristics have changed after the coup: Have the recent socio-political shifts exacerbated or weakened the already existing trends, and how?
In Myanmar, ethnonationalism is often invoked as an explanation for the country’s perpetual violence and armed conflict. However, it is important to unpack the concept of ethnonationalism per se and how it is reproduced. To illuminate the dynamics since the 2021 coup, this chapter takes a step back from recent events to consider the case of the Ta’ang rebel movements in Myanmar’s borderlands.
Following a brief description of the political reasons behind the military coup of 1 February 2021 in Myanmar, as well as the international dynamics that had facilitated it, this paper analyses the several economic and political challenges imposed on the country’s labor movement in the weeks and months after the start of the crisis.
In this latest nationwide struggle against military rule in Myanmar, both the military and the anti-coup resistance forces have relied on conventional and digital strategies to discredit their opponents and gain widespread support for their actions. To what extent do social media platforms serve to facilitate and popularize pro-democratic calls? And how do the pro- and anti-military forces adapt their strategies over time?
This paper analyzes military rule in Myanmar after the coups of 1962, 1988, and 2021 and highlights the impact of and the challenges posed by the most recent coup. The paper also studies the challenges faced by young people in the country and their resistance to the military amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar. The final section will examine the domestic and international responses to the ongoing dictatorship in Myanmar
