Myanmar Civil War - (formerly Burma's)

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Am I being retarded, or I am right in thinking chyna is really messing a trick by not giving their dudes some "real life xp" Condor Legion style?
Doesn't have to be a full scale intervention, but a modest "special operation" in support of the junta would be great practice for a Taiwan test run surely.

I suppose one can't really aspire to completely crush all the rebel groups in the country, some of which have been active since independence in 1948. China is close to a number of them and has even supported them when it wasn't content with the policies of the Burmese army, which is rather reluctant to come under Chinese suzerainty. Incidentally, Myanmar's largest ethnic rebel group, the UWSA, a quasi-Chinese proxy, is virtually at the head of a narco-state. But it has never fought with the junta since 2021. In fact, Myanmar has once again become the world's leading opium producer since the arrival of the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, when these groups (TNLA, MNDAA, AA) began to conquer town after town, directly threatening the central power, while the Tatmadaw retreated on all other fronts, China said stop (or attempted, in AA's case). After all, China has important commercial interests with the junta. Hence this strange kind of double dealing. If the PDF managed to storm Mandalay or - it would be absolutely crazy to have a fight there - Naypyitaw, would the Chinese intervene? Not being particularly close to Xi or Burmese astrologers, I have to say that I have no idea.

What's more, after Donald Trump acknowledged the existence of Min Aung Hlaing a few days ago, the latter tried to rebuild some kind of bridges with the United States, without much success.

I agree that it would be interesting to finally see the Chinese army in action, for sure. I don't think this is happening anytime soon considering the shifted momentum.

 

[Male Idiot]

Now that is a proper civil war. There are like 5 rebel groups or more.

 

[Chuckwagon]

Now that is a proper civil war. There are like 5 rebel groups or more.

I counted 19 named rebel factions + 10 named loyalist ethnic militias based on Wikipedo's list of belligerents alone. Interesting to observe that the Rohingyas (Muslim jeets from Bangladesh who were purportedly genocided back in 2016) now seem to all be on the side of the very same gov't forces that spearheaded their persecution a decade ago.

 

[Abowaffen]

Am I being retarded, or I am right in thinking chyna is really messing a trick by not giving their dudes some "real life xp" Condor Legion style?
Doesn't have to be a full scale intervention, but a modest "special operation" in support of the junta would be great practice for a Taiwan test run surely.

Soviets tried that in Afghanistan, and they got dragged into something much bigger and longer than was palatable to the public. Dangerous for China and Xi's standing to risk it.

 

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

I counted 19 named rebel factions + 10 named loyalist ethnic militias based on Wikipedo's list of belligerents alone. Interesting to observe that the Rohingyas (Muslim jeets from Bangladesh who were purportedly genocided back in 2016) now seem to all be on the side of the very same gov't forces that spearheaded their persecution a decade ago.

Here's a more detailed and up to date one: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1xyb73mgbBB4tqQ7SjUpZ5OjA5h7oqYM
I picked the Wiki map because it is easier to look at. There are a few created by other mappers I have encountered, but they're roughly the same and the makers are just as pozzed.

As for the Rohingya, who launched an Islamist insurgency shortly after the country's independence, it would appear that the de facto new rulers of the State, the Arakan Army, allegedly do not hold them in high regard.

Thus, cornered by the AA, some of them found themselves fighting side by side with the equally besieged Tatmadaw, particularly in Buthidaung and during the long siege of Maungdaw last year, a fierce battle in which a brigadier general of the army was ultimately taken prisoner.

Soviets tried that in Afghanistan, and they got dragged into something much bigger and longer than was palatable to the public. Dangerous for China and Xi's standing to risk it.

It is quite difficult to assess the Burmese opinion reliably, as one might expect, but the mass protests of 2021, which were not the first of their kind in the country's history, showed that the military, while still enjoying some support, certainly has more opponents than ever before, even though many are now resigned to the situation and the military is still managing to carry out its conscription duties. However, even if the Tatmadaw were to ‘win’, or at least or stabilise the situation, I cannot imagine a scenario in which it would regain control of the entire country (which it never really had in the first place). This will never happen.

In any case, as long as the army controls the three major cities of Mandalay, Naypyitaw and Yangon, as well as most of the other cities in the country (even though they are often completely surrounded or even under siege), it should remain standing.

Also, since basically everything I've linked and anything you can find online is essentially anti-junta, here is the English issue of the main pro-SAC journal, published daily:

https://www.gnlm.com.mm/22-july-2025/#article-title

 

[Falcos_Commisar]

There is a lot of fighting going on. Everywhere.
China is throwing its weight around, and after the TNLA, the AA and the MNDAA, it is also putting pressure on the neighbouring KIA.
Mandalay is under threat, while the army tries to fight on all fronts.
Rakhine could soon fall completely

Yep. Now it's more than halfway through 2025 and the war grinds on

Am I being retarded, or I am right in thinking chyna is really messing a trick by not giving their dudes some "real life xp" Condor Legion style?
Doesn't have to be a full scale intervention, but a modest "special operation" in support of the junta would be great practice for a Taiwan test run surely.

Ehh when Chinese troops get killed it's a big deal as most are only children and Xi is also acutely aware of a Chinese military fuck up in Burma making his military look weak and untrained.

I counted 19 named rebel factions + 10 named loyalist ethnic militias based on Wikipedo's list of belligerents alone. Interesting to observe that the Rohingyas (Muslim jeets from Bangladesh who were purportedly genocided back in 2016) now seem to all be on the side of the very same gov't forces that spearheaded their persecution a decade ago.

Holy shit Burma is so fucked

As for the Rohingya, who launched an Islamist insurgency shortly after the country's independence, it would appear that the de facto new rulers of the State, the Arakan Army, allegedly do not hold them in high regard.

Thus, cornered by the AA, some of them found themselves fighting side by side with the equally besieged Tatmadaw, particularly in Buthidaung and during the long siege of Maungdaw last year, a fierce battle in which a brigadier general of the army was ultimately taken prisoner

Yeah the Arakan Army hates the Rohingya and has been committing massacres against them

 

[Rezza]

Not Myanmar, but still very close
Thailand and Cambodia have escalated their border skirmishes now with airstrike and rocket strikes
With SCS being as hotter than ever, there's a possibility that the entire Indochina region will turn into a conflict zone things continue to escalate

 

[Soso]

With SCS being as hotter than ever, there's a possibility that the entire Indochina region will turn into a conflict zone things continue to escalate

Here we go again!

 

[Balr0g]

What the hell is wrong with the world lately? Is this the HOI IV simulation and we have reached 100% world tension?

 

[The Wise Shaman]

What the hell is wrong with the world lately? Is this the HOI IV simulation and we have reached 100% world tension?

They finally updated the focus trees and added several wars with it. I hope they fixed the bug with peace conferences where you couldn't change the borders.

 

[Rezza]

What the hell is wrong with the world lately? Is this the HOI IV simulation and we have reached 100% world tension?

I've been told that Cambodia started it as a distraction from domestic economic crisis, half of their economy is the fraud industry that many other countries are starting to crackdown. Thailand probably responds in kind for the same reason, what's with the US tariff and China dumping things on Asia

Considering both countries are close to China, and Thailand bordering Myanmar, it'll be worth to keep an eye on the situation

That said, Cambodia's military is significantly weaker than Thailand, so unless it's a guerilla war it'll be a quick one

 

[Falcos_Commisar]

Not Myanmar, but still very close
Thailand and Cambodia have escalated their border skirmishes now with airstrike and rocket strikes
With SCS being as hotter than ever, there's a possibility that the entire Indochina region will turn into a conflict zone things continue to escalate

Hell yeah I want to see Thai Oplots and MBT-3000d roll into Cambodia and Thai F-16s and Gripen smash the Cambodian "Air force".

 

[Darkholme's Dungeon]

I agree that it would be interesting to finally see the Chinese army in action, for sure. I don't think this is happening anytime soon considering the shifted momentum.

One other thing to take note is that the Kachin hills tract was historically claimed as part of China under the Qing and the ROC. The PRC ceeded those lands de jure. So there's a vested interest in keeping the Juntra strong enough to not become somalia, but not strong enough it can press out the Wa/Kare insurgencies and or reliably align with India. Plus the groups one day might decide to pull a Donbass and properly seceede again.

Doesn't have to be a full scale intervention, but a modest "special operation" in support of the junta would be great practice for a Taiwan test run surely.

It's not going to happen short of direct Indian intervention.

1) Gives the reason for India to intervene, and they have a much better logistics route than that shitshow in Wa state
2) Yunnan military wise was under of the Chengdu Military Region (Now reoginized as parts of Southern/Western Theatre Command). They got dissolved after in 2016 due to an (alleged) coup attempt (and historically, these were very strong historical states, defensible georaphically, culturally distinct, and had a habit of rebelling).
3) Imagine the border with Wa state as the US-Mexico border but more lawless, remote (it's all jungle) and mined. It's a very porus border if not for the landmines.
4) Three letters need a font to smuggle shit in/out of and this is one aside from the border with Laos.

 

[Yellow Rose Of Texas]

I find it interesting that this hasn't been covered by any news or politicians here in America.

Probably cause of how many rebel groups are currently involved in this war,this whole cluster fuck really feels like the sandnigger wars asian edition.

 

[Soso]

Most Americans won't really care about this war either, and it would be very confusing to follow. There's countless sides going at it, and the amount of rebel groups, separatist groups, who's aligned with who, would be confusing for most to follow. Plus when the Junta is actually "defeated" there will be another coup, and/or the rebellion groups will start massacring each other again.

 

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

What's more, after Donald Trump acknowledged the existence of Min Aung Hlaing a few days ago, the latter tried to rebuild some kind of bridges with the United States, without much success.

Well, nevermind!

US lifts sanctions on Myanmar military cronies after Min Aung Hlaing letter to President Trump​

The U.S. lifted sanctions designations on several allies of Myanmar’s military generals on Thursday, two weeks after regime leader Min Aung Hlaing praised President Donald Trump and called for an easing of sanctions in a letter responding to a tariff warning.

Human Rights Watch called the move “extremely worrying” and said it suggested a major shift was underway in U.S. policy towards Myanmar’s military, which overthrew a democratically elected government in 2021 and has been implicated in crimes against humanity and genocide.

A notice from the U.S. Treasury Department said KT Services & Logistics and its founder, Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung; the MCM Group and its owner Aung Hlaing Oo; and Suntac Technologies and its owner Sit Taing Aung; and another individual, Tin Latt Min, were being removed from the U.S. sanctions list.

KT Services & Logistics and Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung were added to the sanctions list in January 2022 under former U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration in a step timed to mark the first anniversary of the military seizure of power in Myanmar that plunged the country into chaos.

Sit Taing Aung and Aung Hlaing Oo were placed on the sanctions list the same year for operating in Myanmar’s defence sector. Tin Latt Min, identified as another close associate of the military, was placed on the list in 2024 to mark the third anniversary of the 2021 coup.

The Treasury Department did not explain the reason for the move, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On July 11, Myanmar regime leader Min Aung Hlaing asked U.S. President Donald Trump in a letter for a reduction in the 40 percent tariff rate on his country’s exports to the U.S. and said he was ready to send a negotiating team to Washington if needed.

“The senior general acknowledged the president’s strong leadership in guiding his country towards national prosperity with the spirit of a true patriot,” regime media reported earlier this month.

In his response to a letter from Trump notifying Myanmar of the tariff to take effect on Aug. 1, Min Aung Hlaing proposed a reduced rate of 10 to 20 percent, with Myanmar slashing its levy on U.S. imports to a range of zero to 10 percent.

Min Aung Hlaing also asked President Trump “to reconsider easing and lifting the economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar, as they hinder the shared interests and prosperity of both countries and their peoples.”

Myanmar is one of the world’s main sources of sought-after rare earth minerals used in high-tech defense and consumer applications. Securing supplies of the minerals is a major focus for the Trump administration in its strategic competition with China, which is responsible for 90 percent of rare earth processing capacity.

Most of Myanmar’s rare earth mines are in areas controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an ethnic armed group fighting the regime, and are processed in China.

John Sifton, Asia advocacy director of Human Rights Watch, called the U.S. move “shocking” and its motivation unclear.

“The action suggests a major shift is underway in U.S. policy, which had centered on punitive action against Myanmar’s military regime, which only four years ago carried out a coup d’etat against a democratically elected government and is implicated in crimes against humanity and genocide,” he said in an emailed statement.

“The decision will cause deep concern among victims of the Myanmar military and everyone who has been fighting and advocating for a return to democratic rule in Myanmar,” Sifton added.

https://english.dvb.no/us-lifts-sanctions-on-myanmar-military-cronies-after-min-aung-hlaing-letter-to-president-trump/

https://archive.ph/WDBNb

 

[Chuckwagon]

Most Americans won't really care about this war either, and it would be very confusing to follow. There's countless sides going at it, and the amount of rebel groups, separatist groups, who's aligned with who, would be confusing for most to follow. Plus when the Junta is actually "defeated" there will be another coup, and/or the rebellion groups will start massacring each other again.

It's OK, Americans have got Rambo to do their thinking for them in this regard. Tl;dw Karens (KNU/KNLA) good and the main character of this decades-long shitshow, Burmese gov't bad. Everyone else either doesn't exist or are secondary allies of the Karens. Live for nothing or die for something, etc.

(Tbf, to my understanding the Karens have the highest % of their population being Christian out of all the major Burmese ethnic groups and these Christians still lead the aforementioned Karen organizations - something which has driven Buddhist Karens away before - so that might make them a bit more approachable to Western audiences than all the Buddhists & animists killing each other. In the past they were also the favored minority of the British when they ruled Burma in part because of their openness to the Gospel, which obviously did not sit well with the Bamar or other peoples. They do sometimes go through a Taiping phase, but to my understanding the majority of today's Karens have chilled out somewhat & are more or less 'normal' Christians by Asian tribal standards; Baptist-flavored for most Karen Christians, Catholic-flavored in case of the Karenni northern sub-ethnicity.)

 

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

It's OK, Americans have got Rambo to do their thinking for them in this regard. Tl;dw Karens (KNU/KNLA) good and the main character of this decades-long shitshow, Burmese gov't bad. Everyone else either doesn't exist or are secondary allies of the Karens. Live for nothing or die for something, etc.

(Tbf, to my understanding the Karens have the highest % of their population being Christian out of all the major Burmese ethnic groups and these Christians still lead the aforementioned Karen organizations - something which has driven Buddhist Karens away before - so that might make them a bit more approachable to Western audiences than all the Buddhists & animists killing each other. In the past they were also the favored minority of the British when they ruled Burma in part because of their openness to the Gospel, which obviously did not sit well with the Bamar or other peoples. They do sometimes go through a Taiping phase, but to my understanding the majority of today's Karens have chilled out somewhat & are more or less 'normal' Christians by Asian tribal standards; Baptist-flavored for most Karen Christians, Catholic-flavored in case of the Karenni northern sub-ethnicity.)

Myanmar is a strange and complex country for a whole host of reasons. It is ethnically diverse and, to a lesser extent, religiously diverse, as it is largely Buddhist. These ethnic groups are divided into various subgroups with different allegiances, some of which chose to ally themselves with the junta, remain neutral, or engage in outright hostility when the conflict broke out in 2021.

The case of the Karen is a particularly good example. I mentioned this in my post on the first page, but following the siege of Myawaddy last year, which briefly drove the Tatmadaw out of this crucial border town in Karen State, the victorious KNLA and PDF handed control back to the KNA, the KNU/KNLA-PC and the DKBA-5. Following this, the dominant group, the KNA, Colonel Saw Chit Thu's Karen National Army, reportedly allowed the Tatmadaw to reoccupy the town following an agreement. Hence the specific colour on the Wikipedo map.

But which group represents what, exactly? Let's keep it simple, especially as I am not an expert on the long history of Burmese rebellions.

Left to right: emblem of the KNU; flag of the KNDO; flag of the KNLA.​

• The KNU (Karen National Union) is an organisation founded in 1947. It is one of the oldest rebel groups in the country and claims to represent the Karen people. It has had two armed branches, the KNDO (Karen National Defence Organisation) and, above all, the KNLA (Karen National Liberation Army), formed in 1949, which is the most active today. It is engaged in a bitter struggle against the Tatmadaw.

Flag of the DKBA (just in case you missed it).​

• The DKBA (Democratic Karen Buddhist Army) is an organisation founded in 1994 by members of the KNLA who rejected the Christian dominance of the organisation [a minority of Karens are Christian; they are in the majority amongst the Karennis further north]. In 1995, the DKBA took the town of Myawaddy from the KNLA. It subsequently signed a ceasefire with the government, and in 2009, when the BGF (Border Guard Forces) were created, it formally joined the Tatmadaw. The BGF were made up of former ethnic rebel groups that had agreed to cease fighting and were therefore tasked with protecting the country's borders, which were largely occupied by non-Bamar ethnic groups.

The flag of the DKBA - Brigade 5 is also the DKBA flag (of course).​

• The DKBA-5 aka the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army is a splinter group of the DKBA formed in 2010 that refused to accept the latter's integration into the BGF.

The KNA can use the flag of the Border Forces (which is the flag of the country itself) or its former DBKA flag (did you ever see this one before?). Maybe a new flag coming soon?​

• The KNA (Karen National Army) is the name given to itself by the Karen BGF when it, like other BGFs in the country, chose to distance itself from the Tatmadaw. In the case of the KNA, this was in 2024, and it took this name in April of that year. So it was with obvious confusion that I read an article published yesterday explaining that the BGF would take the name KNA, which it already had. The DKBA-5 seems to be okay with that, too. In summary: the BGF/KNA and the DKBA-5 have the Tatmadaw's agreement to jointly occupy Myawaddy and have sworn not to undertake any secessionist endeavours.

Logo of the KNU/KNLA Peace Council (unrelated to the KNU or the KNLA, btw).​

• The KNU/KNLA-PC is another dissident group of the KNLA formed in 2007. It therefore has nothing to do with that organisation and, unlike the latter, signed a ceasefire agreement in 2015 (along with other groups, which many ceased to honour after 2021). Unlike the other groups mentioned, which have several thousand members, this one is believed to have only a few hundred.

Flag of the PDF. Created in approximately 2 minutes.​

• Finally, the PDF (People's Defence Force), formed in 2021, the largest rebel group, with tens of thousands of members spread across its various units, is present in much of the country, especially in the centre, populated by Bamars, the ethnic Burmese. They control most of the territory north of Mandalay, south of Naypyitaw, in the south of the Tanintharyi Region, and they cooperate with most rebel groups, including the KNLA. They are basically the armed wing of the NUG (National Unity Government) and are therefore not ethnically affiliated.

Have I forgotten anyone? Probably. Behind these alliances and reversals, there are of course agreements whose nature we are unaware of, and the KNA (formerly BGF, formerly DKBA) is accused of running various casinos and fraudulent businesses in Myawaddy, which can also be found in other parts of the country (and which have aroused China's ire for years; it was a prime target for these border scammers, especially in Shan State, and the Chinese accused Myanmar authorities of not doing enough, or anything, about it. Things have changed since, somewhat. It should be noted that Chinese-aligned, ethnic Chinese or directly Chinese nationals do also operate shady / drug businesses in these areas, like I mentioned earlier with the UWSA. The notorious "Golden Triangle".)

More generally, in Myanmar, things tend to change names. Starting with the country itself, which many people still know as Burma, and which, in a few countries, is still referred to as Burma in the press for political reasons (see below) — and so is it in the US. So there is the name of the country, the capital, which has completely changed location, but also the names of regions, cities, and even people (that depends on their ethnicity, too). Added to this are the common spelling variations due to romanisation. A while ago, I read an interesting piece published in 2023 by Myanmar specialist Andrew Selth, who recounted these changes. Quote:

After Myanmar’s armed forces crushed a nation-wide pro-democracy uprising in September 1988, the country’s official name (in English) was changed from its post-1974 form, the “Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma”, back to the “Union of Burma”, which had been adopted when Myanmar regained its independence from the United Kingdom (UK) in January 1948. In July 1989, the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) changed the country's name once again, this time to the “Union of Myanmar”, which had long been the vernacular version (in the literary register, at least). In the formal declaration of the country’s independence, for example, it was called the Union of Burma in the English version and the Union of Myanmar (or “Myanma”) in the Burmese version. In 2011, after formal promulgation of the 2008 national constitution, the country’s official name was changed yet again, this time to the “Republic of the Union of Myanmar”. This name is used by the shadow National Unity Government, but on its website the NUG refers to the “Federal Union of Myanmar”, the goal at the end of the shadow government’s twelve-point roadmap to national renewal.

Also, in July 1989 a number of other place names were changed by the military government to conform more closely to their original pronunciation in the Burmese language. For example, Arakan State became Rakhine State and Tenasserim Division became Tanintharyi Division (later changed to Tanintharyi Region). The Mergui Archipelago became the Myeik Archipelago, the Irrawaddy River became the Ayeyarwady River and the Salween River became the Thanlwin River. The city of Rangoon became Yangon, Moulmein became Mawlamyine, Akyab reverted to Sittwe and Maymyo became Pyin Oo Lwin. The ethno-linguistic groups formerly known as the Burmans and the Karen are now called the Bamar and the Kayin. The people of Kayah State are widely known as Karenni (Red Karen), the state’s name until it was changed by the Burmese government in 1952.

The new names have been accepted by most countries, the United Nations (UN) and other major international organisations. A few governments, activist groups and news media outlets, however, still cling to “Burma” as the name of the country, apparently as a protest against the former military regime's refusal to put the question of a name change to the people of Myanmar. The old name was also believed to be the preference of then opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was held under house arrest by the military regime for periods totaling almost 15 years. Failure to acknowledge and use the new name has prompted complaints by successive Myanmar administrations, mainly to the United States (US) government which even now, nearly 35 years later, insists on using “Burma” in official correspondence and Congressional documents. All US laws and regulations levelling sanctions against Myanmar refer specifically to “Burma”. Questioned about the official name of the country soon after her party took office in 2016, Aung San Suu Kyi stated her continuing preference for the colonial-era term “Burma” but said that both names were now acceptable.

After the UK dispatched troops to the royal capital of Mandalay and completed its three-stage conquest of Burma (as it was then called) in January 1886, Yangon (then known as Rangoon) was confirmed as the administrative capital of the country. It remains the commercial capital, but in November 2005 the ruling military council formally designated the newly-built city of Naypyidaw (or Nay Pyi Taw), 327 kilometres (203 miles) north of Yangon, as the seat of Myanmar’s government. The terms “Rangoon regime”, “Yangon regime”, or in some cases simply “Rangoon” or “Yangon”, have been used by some authors and commentators as shorthand terms for the central government, including the military government that was created in 1962 and re-invented in 1974, 1988 and 1997. The government after 2005 was sometimes referred to as the “Naypyidaw regime”, or “Naypyidaw”, to reflect the administrative change that took place that year.

Another common term is Tatmadaw. It is usually translated as “royal force”, but the honorific daw no longer refers to the monarchy. Since 1948, the name has been the vernacular term for Myanmar’s tri-service (army, navy and air force) armed forces. In recent years, it has gained wide currency in English-language and other publications on Myanmar. Sometimes, the Tatmadaw is referred to simply as “the army”, reflecting that service arm’s overwhelming size and influence, compared with the other two. While the term “Defence Services” usually refers only to the armed forces, it is sometimes used in a wider context to refer collectively to the armed forces, the Myanmar Police Force (MPF), the “People’s Militias” (Pyithu Sit), border guard forces and sundry other state-endorsed paramilitary units. On occasion, the Myanmar Fire Services Department and Myanmar Red Cross have also been included in this category. As the 2008 constitution decrees that “all the armed forces in the Union shall be under the command of the Defence Services”, the formal title (in English) of the Tatmadaw’s most senior officer is Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services.

Over the years, some components of Myanmar’s national intelligence apparatus have changed their formal titles several times. The military intelligence organisation, for example, has periodically been renamed, usually to coincide with structural and personnel changes in the armed forces. These adjustments have not always been known to, or recognised by, foreign observers. Also, Burmese language titles have been translated into English in different ways. For example, the title “Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs” (OCMSA) has sometimes been written as the “Office of the Chief of Military Affairs Security” (OCMAS), or simply “Military Affairs Security”. The use of popular names has added another complication. For example, ever since 1948 the Tatmadaw’s intelligence arm has been widely known as the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), or simply the “MI” (“em-eye”). Similarly, the Police Force’s Intelligence Bureau, and later Special Intelligence Department (or, strictly translated, the “Information Police”), has long been known as Special Branch, or “SB”. All this has meant that in the literature some agencies have been called by several different names, and not always accurately.

Since the 2021 coup, many activist groups and commentators have refused to call the new military regime by its adopted title, the State Administration Council (SAC), which on 1 August that year branded itself a “caretaker government”. They refer simply to “the junta” or “the military regime”, names rejected by the military leadership. Senior General (SENGEN) Min Aung Hlaing has been denied any official status, being widely known as “the junta chief” or “Ma Ah La”, the Burmese acronym for his name. It is no coincidence that “Ma Ah La”, with a slight tonal shift, can also be translated as “mother-fucker”. The same critics have also objected to calling Myanmar’s armed forces the Tatmadaw, on the grounds that they do not deserve the status and prestige that has historically been associated with that title. The opposition movement and its supporters prefer the description sit-tat, which in the Burmese language means “military”, or “army”. This is despite the fact that “Tatmadaw” occurs in the official name of the opposition People’s Defence Force (Pyithu Kakweye Tatmadaw, or PDF). Some governments, like that of the United States, avoid such diplomatic conundrums by simply referring in public to “the Burmese military”.

Controversy also surrounds the term used to describe those ethnically-based armed groups that have been waging war against Myanmar’s central government, some of them for decades. The Karen struggle, for example, has been described as the longest insurgency in the world, dating from Myanmar’s independence in 1948. For many years, these groups have been known as “ethnic armed organisations” (EAO), or variations thereof. Although it is widely used, they dislike the term “rebels”, as it suggests a lack of legitimacy, both for the groups themselves and their struggles for independence, autonomy or other goals. Since the 2021 coup, not all EAOs have declared their support for the opposition movement but those that have, and are loosely allied with the NUG and PDF, are increasingly being referred to as “ethnic resistance organisations” (ERO). An alternative meaning of ERO found in some sources is “ethnic revolutionary organisations”. This follows moves by some activists and academic observers to describe the current armed conflict as a “revolution” and not a “civil war” (the more common term). This view is based on the nature of the armed struggle, the boldness of the opposition’s aims and the number of people in Myanmar who appear to support them.

All Burmese personal names are particular. Most people do not have surnames or forenames in the Western sense. Names may be one to four syllables long, and are usually chosen depending on the day of the week that a child is born (which is why many people in Myanmar share the same names). Sometimes, however, a child’s name may derive from those of their parents, as is the case with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Also, among the majority Bamar ethnic group names are usually preceded by an honorific, such as “U”, literally meaning “uncle”, or “Daw”, meaning “aunt”. “U” can also form a part of a man’s name, as in U Tin U. The titles “Maung”, “Ko” (“brother”) and “Ma” (“sister”), usually given to younger men and women, are also found in personal names, as in Maung Maung Aye, Ko Ko Gyi and Ma Ma Lay. To all such rules, however, there are exceptions. Some of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities, like the Kachin, have family or clan names, which are placed before their given names, as in a case like Maran Brang Seng, where “Maran” is the name of a clan. Other ethnic minorities, such as the Shan, Karen and Chin, have their own systems of honorifics and naming conventions.

In Myanmar, names can be changed relatively easily, often without seeking official permission or requiring formal registration. This situation is further complicated by the frequent use of nicknames and other sobriquets as identifiers, such as “Myanaung” (the town) U Tin, “Tekkatho” (university) Phone Naing, or “Guardian” (the magazine) Sein Win. Pen-names, noms-de guerre and pseudonyms also have a long history in Myanmar. For example, the birth name of General Ne Win, who effectively ruled the country from 1962 to 1988, was Shu Maung. Ne Win, which means “bright sun” in Burmese, was a nom de guerre he adopted in 1941 and retained after the Second World War, probably to hide his Chinese heritage. Some Myanmar citizens were given or have adopted Western names, including those who attended Christian missionary schools in their youth. Others use only one part of their name for convenience, for example when travelling abroad or dealing with foreigners who are unfamiliar with the Burmese naming system. It is not uncommon for an obituary to list more than one name by which the deceased was known. (…)

Add to that the fact that Americans and Europeans have no real interests in the country and that it is located far from their respective continents, and it is easy to understand the natural lack of interest in the Burmese conflict. Except, of course, when it comes to the eternal Moslem victims, the Rohingya invaders in this case (commonly referred to as "Bengalis" in Myanmar), who even managed to bring the sacrosanct Aung San Suu Kyi into disrepute. Just imagine if there were Jews in Burma as well!

 

[Chuckwagon]

Add to that the fact that Americans and Europeans have no real interests in the country and that it is located far from their respective continents, and it is easy to understand the natural lack of interest in the Burmese conflict. Except, of course, when it comes to the eternal Moslem victims, the Rohingya invaders in this case (commonly referred to as "Bengalis" in Myanmar), who even managed to bring the sacrosanct Aung San Suu Kyi into disrepute. Just imagine if there were Jews in Burma as well!

This reminds me, whatever happened to that based monk Ashin Wirathu, he of pearls of wisdom like “You can be full of kindness and love, but you cannot sleep next to a mad dog”? Last I heard he didn't much like Suu Kyi, got arrested & then released years ago. Be pretty funny if he's rooting for the gov't now that, as discussed the other day, they 've got a tactical alliance of convenience with the very same Rohingyas he was bashing back in the day vs. the Arakan Army rebels.

 

[Point and Laugh]

Most Americans won't really care about this war either, and it would be very confusing to follow.

I’ve read almost the whole thread and I still can’t tell you anything about all the different groups.

However, I will always remember aerobics lady doing her workout with a military coup going on in the background. Even the coup seemed pretty chill tbh. I hope that lady is doing good.