Myanmar Civil War

The Myanmar civil war

Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia and for years the country has been plagued by

conflict and political instability. The independence of 1962 was supposed to be the begging of

prosperity and freedom for the country, but it was only the beginning of a nightmare for the

population. The last coup happened on February 2021 and the situation remains alarming

from a political and humanitarian point of view. This conflict is linked to many factors and

can be explained by certain theories of conflict such as ethnic violence and social identity. But

also, the theory of elites linked to the political system. This conflict continues to be of concern

to international institutions and actions need to be taken in the coming years.

Since its inception, the Burmese conflict has been fuelled by the many differences between

the groups that make up the population. This multitude of social groups and identities

contributes to the increase in tension and conflict. The objectives of each group and the

incompatibilities between them are consistent with the theory of ethnic violence and social

identity. The ethnic division caused by discrimination against minorities has led groups to

rebel. The groups see no alternative but to struggle and rebel in order to make a place for

themselves and thus survive in an authoritarian political context. Each group wants to be able

to own land and have access to resources that are mostly monopolised by the state.

Burma is a multi-ethnic state, which means that within the same state entity, several groups

with different languages and cultures live together. While the majority community is the

ethnic Burmese, who represent 68% of the total population, 135 ethnic groups are officially

recognised, but the cohabitation has never been peaceful.

In addition, the gap between the Muslim minority and the Buddhist majority is enormous, as

the Rohingya Muslims are not recognised as citizens of the state. The minority must therefore

differentiate themselves and use violence. Conflicts that are composed of many actors and

relationships, with no official leader to represent these groups, at many different levels of

society and engage with other groups

The source of this protracted ethno-political conflict is the lack of recognition by the EU.

Ethnic groups in the predominantly Burmese state of Myanmar. Burma is made up of 60% of

non-Burmese minorities who feel that they do not have sufficient rights and access to power.

The oppressive and discriminatory military regime that has ruled the country since

independence from the British has been responsible for the lack of basic freedoms.

Indeed, from independence, ethnic groups demanded a certain level of autonomy which the

government refused to grant. The hopes of the minorities were then totally dashed when the

military junta, also known as the Tatmadaw, took power in 1962. The ethnic communities

wanted a federal state and the country to be separated into several autonomous territories

united around a federal entity with limited powers. Instead of granting such a structure, the

1974 constitution, drafted by the military, created 14 administrative divisions: 7 ethnic states

and 7 Burmese-majority regions. Rejecting the central government, armed ethnic groups have

sprung up in various parts of the country, and for almost 70 years this closed country has been

the scene of internal conflict.

From 1990 onwards, the military government tried to ease tensions by creating a National

Convention, an inclusive body charged with drafting a new constitution. But the divisions

were too great and the Convention was regularly suspended and even adjourned for 8 years,

between 1996 and 2004. However, in 2003, the UN welcomed progress in the process when

the Burmese Foreign Minister pledged to restart the work of the National Convention before

various international representatives at a summit in Bangkok.

Despite this, disagreements, particularly over the autonomy to be granted to different

communities, prevented the constituent process from moving forward and violence continued,

accompanied by human rights violations. Thus, in 2007, with tensions at their highest, non-

governmental organisations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN Human

Rights Council, and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

countries sounded the alarm about the abuses committed by the military regime. But the

attempt to pass a Security Council resolution condemning Myanmar is being vetoed by China

and Russia. Indeed, the Security Council, the executive body of the United Nations, is

composed of 15 members, including five permanent ones (China, Russia, France, the United

Kingdom and the United States), which can unilaterally oppose decisions taken by the other

members. Finally, at the end of 2007, after another violent repression of a peaceful

demonstration, the government, considering that the negotiations could not bring anything

constructive, decided to create a Constitutional Drafting Commission. The Commission was

able, within a few weeks, to present a new Constitution that will be submitted to a referendum

and adopted in 2008.

But this new high standard seems to be only a façade and has done nothing to bring peace to

Myanmar. Conflicts have not stopped and refugee camps in China and Thailand continue to

receive new arrivals. Indeed, the new constitution, while purporting to hand over governance

to the civilian authorities, allows the military to retain control of the country's most important

decisions. In particular, it reserves the portfolios of the Ministries of Interior, Defence, and

Borders and Nationality to individuals selected by the Tatmadaw. In addition, by directly

appointing 25% of the members of parliament, the military has given itself a veto over any

revision of the constitution - which can only take place with a vote of more than 75%.

It thus prevents any progress on the most sensitive issue: the unitary or federal structure of the

state.

In 2015, the parties to the conflict tried once again to find a solution to the conflict with the

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