Myanmar in 2022

Myanmar in 2022

Myanmar, a country formerly known as Burma, is home to one of the most autocratic regimes, as well as to an extremely diverse population - there are 135 ethnic groups officially recognized in the country. The result of this is a state of constant guerilla warfare in the regions that are not predominantly populated by the Burman ethnic group.

The highest level of unrest comes from the Kachin, Shan and Karen States, with other unrest in Mon and Rakhine areas, as well as many other smaller local insurgencies.

Since the mid-2010s, a major strife has appeared in the Northwest of the country, in the Rakhine state that is close to the Bangladesh border. It concerns Rohingyas, a population that, unlike the rest of the population of the country, is of Indo-Aryan origin and practices Islam. A law on Burmese nationality denied these population citizenship in the 1980s and their most basic rights have been challenged since then, despite a very long presence in the region. Major repression by the Myanmar army has been qualified as genocide, and the majority of the Rohingyas have temporarily resettled in Bangladesh. As of 2022, no permanent solution to this issue seems achievable in the short term, despite considerable international outcry.

More on Myanmar