All Conflicts
WarAsia-PacificCivil War1948–presentReviewed Apr 5

Myanmar Civil War

Delta badges show 30-day net PF movement

Min Aung Hlaing completed sham civilianization, now nominal president via military-controlled parliament

War continues; 93,000 dead since 2021, resistance forces hold significant territory

Escalation Trace

Min Aung Hlaing completed sham civilianization

2 events
Jan 2026Mar 2026

Theater

Focus Region

Asia-Pacific

Geo-Linked Events

2

1948

Myanmar gains independence from Britain; ethnic minority groups including the Karen, Kachin, and Shan immediately take up arms against the Burman-dominated central government, beginning what becomes the world's longest-running civil war.

1962

General Ne Win seizes power in a coup and imposes a military dictatorship, suppressing both democratic opposition and ethnic insurgencies under a policy of forced national unity that deepens minority grievances.

1988

A nationwide pro-democracy uprising is violently crushed by the military, killing thousands; the junta rebrands as the SLORC and Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD emerges as the leading civilian opposition force.

2011

A managed transition to quasi-civilian government begins under President Thein Sein, followed by NLD election victories in 2015; multiple ceasefire agreements with ethnic armed organizations are signed but largely fail to hold.

2021

General Min Aung Hlaing launches a coup on February 1st, arresting Aung San Suu Kyi and reversing democratic rule; mass civil disobedience evolves into armed resistance as the NUG forms the People's Defence Force (PDF).

2022

The PDF and longstanding ethnic armed organizations begin coordinating offensives against the military, fragmenting the battlefield across more than 1,200 distinct armed groups — making Myanmar the most fragmented conflict globally per ACLED data.

2023

Operation 1027 launches in October as the Brotherhood Alliance (Arakan Army, MNDAA, TNLA) seizes major towns and military bases in northern Shan State, marking the junta's largest territorial losses since the 2021 coup.

2024

Anti-junta forces capture Lashio, the largest city in northern Shan State and site of a key military regional command, as Tatmadaw control continues to fragment across multiple fronts simultaneously.

PRO-RESISTANCE

Western nations

political recognition of NUG

Thailand (porous border enabling supply). No major state arms supplier to resistance — crowd-funded and captured weapons primary source

China maintains pragmatic ties with BOTH junta AND select EAOs (particularly those along China border — MNDAA, Wa State). This dual-track relationship gives Beijing leverage over conflict trajectory. Brotherhood Alliance's Operation 1027 (Oct 2023) captured significant territory near Chinese border — Beijing brokered ceasefires to protect BRI infrastructure investments. China functions as de facto conflict regulator along northern corridor.

Most fragmented conflict globally: 1,200+ distinct armed groups per ACLED. Rohingya genocide (2017) created 800,000+ refugees in Bangladesh — pre-dates current escalation but ongoing persecution continues.

Mar 31, 2026Institutional reformNarrowing

Min Aung Hlaing Elected Vice-President in Myanmar Civilianization Process

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was elected vice-president by the lower house with 247 of 260 votes, initiating a scripted transition toward a nominally civilian presidency.

Jan 29, 2026Institutional reformMixed

Myanmar Junta Conducts Sham Elections Amid Ongoing Civil War

Myanmar's military junta staged elections that opposition forces boycotted and excluded minority populations, with the military-backed party claiming a landslide despite winning only 6% in 2020.

Apr 4, 2025Political transitionNarrowing

Min Aung Hlaing Elected Myanmar President via Controlled Parliamentary Vote

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was elected president by a military-dominated parliament, completing a transition from de facto military ruler to nominal civilian head of state.

Mar 31, 2025Institutional reformNarrowing

Min Aung Hlaing Elected Vice-President in Myanmar Controlled Parliament

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was elected vice-president by the Lower House with 247 of 260 votes, initiating a choreographed transition from military uniform to civilian presidential role.

Mar 30, 2025Institutional reformMixed

Min Aung Hlaing Relinquishes Myanmar Military Command, Positions for Presidency

Min Aung Hlaing formally transferred the commander-in-chief role to Ye Win Oo at military headquarters in Naypyitaw, retaining his position as head of the State Administration Council.

Mar 18, 2025Institutional reformNarrowing

Min Aung Hlaing Elected Vice-President in Myanmar Managed Transition

Myanmar's lower house elected junta chief Min Aung Hlaing as vice-president with 247 of 260 votes, initiating a formal transfer from uniform to civilian title.

Feb 4, 2025Institutional reformNarrowing

Min Aung Hlaing Elected Vice President Ahead of Presidential Confirmation

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing received 247 of 260 lower house votes to become vice president, the penultimate step before a parliament-wide presidential vote expected this week. He previously stepped down as commander-in-chief to enable the nomination.