The different armed groups of Myanmar
The HinduThe Myanmar military’s coup d’état in 2021 has brought about a seismic shift in the country’s politics. The Brotherhood Alliance — comprising the Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army — has demonstrated prowess in holding onto territory after making rapid territorial gains. Recently, Myanmar’s former president Thein Sein and Gen Soe Win, regarded as second-in-command in the military, travelled to China to participate in forums pertaining to peaceful coexistence and green development. According to a UN report released this month, China supplied ‘fighter aircraft, missile technology, naval equipment and other dual-use military equipment’ to Myanmar in the past two years. Beijing’s pursuit of such a policy had two premises: the Myanmar military would not be a significant force in large tracts of the country; that China had enough leverage to ensure that EAOs would not undermine its interests.