Opinion | Myanmar bloodshed grows, as Ukraine war shifts the world’s attention
- The Ukraine war pushed Myanmar down the list of international concerns, worsening cracks among global powers that would likely be united on the worsening situation
- Myanmar has witnessed killings by the military almost daily since generals seized control of the country in 2021
More than two years on from a coup that installed military rule in the Southeast Asian country, pro-democracy protesters say they have yet to receive an adequate answer.
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‘We can’t get away’: Self-made bunkers built in Myanmar to protect against junta air strikes
Such attacks are not uncommon, if not usually so deadly. The day before the Sagaing massacre, the Myanmar air force dropped bombs in Falam, Chin State, killing 11 people. In fact, since civil war broke out, 3,240 civilians and pro-democracy activists have been killed, according to the human rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. In response, a fierce resistance movement has emerged, with an estimated 65,000 fighters using ambushes and other guerilla tactics against military targets.
As a scholar on Myanmar’s history, I would argue that the escalating violence can be attributed to two main factors, one internal and one external: a miscalculation by the military over the resistance of Myanmar’s people, and ambivalence from the international community.