Myanmar

Myanmar. Officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and known as Burma until 1989. A country in Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has a population of about 55 million. It is bordered by Bangladesh and India to its northwest. China is to its northeast. Laos and Thailand are to its east and southeast. The Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal are to its south and southwest. The country’s capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city is Yangon (formerly Rangoon).

The British East India Company seized control of the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century. The country then became a British colony. After a brief Japanese occupation, Myanmar was reconquered by the Allies. In 1948, Myanmar declared independence.

Myanmar’s post-independence history has continued to be checkered by unrest and conflict. The coup d’état in 1962 resulted in a military dictatorship under the Burma Socialist Programme Party. On 8 August 1988, the 8888 Uprising then resulted in a nominal transition to a multi-party system two years later. But the country’s post-uprising military council refused to cede power. They have continued to rule the country through to now.

The country remains riven by ethnic strife among its myriad ethnic groups. It has one of the world’s longest-running ongoing civil wars. The United Nations and several other organizations have reported consistent and systemic human rights violations in the country.

In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved next a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners were released. The 2015 Myanmar general election was held, leading to improved foreign relations and eased economic sanctions. The country’s treatment of its ethnic minorities remained a source of international tension. This was particularly true in connection with the Rohingya conflict.

After the 2020 Myanmar general election, Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won a clear majority in both houses. Then, the Burmese military (Tatmadaw) seized power again in a coup d’état. The coup was widely condemned by the international community. It led to continuous ongoing widespread protests in Myanmar. The coup has been marked by violent political repression by the military. There has also been a larger outbreak of the civil war.

The military also arrested Aung San Suu Kyi to remove her from public life. They charged her with crimes ranging from corruption to the violation of COVID-19 protocols. Independent observers believe that all the charges against her are politically motivated.

Myanmar is a member of the East Asia Summit, Non-Aligned Movement, ASEAN, and BIMSTEC. But it is not a member of the Commonwealth of Nations despite once being part of the British Empire. Myanmar is a Dialogue Partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Myanmar has long suffered from instability. Factional violence is also a significant issue. Corruption and poor infrastructure are rampant. Furthermore, there is a long history of colonial exploitation with little regard to human development. The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world. A large proportion of the economy is controlled by cronies of the military junta.Myanmar is one of the least developed countries. As of 2020, according to the Human Development Index, it ranks 147 out of 189 countries. This ranking pertains to terms of human development. This is the lowest in Southeast Asia.

Since 2021, more than 600,000 people were displaced across Myanmar due to the surge in violence post-coup. More than three million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.