Burma/Myanmar

Protesters hold up their mobile phones and candles during a candlelight vigil to honor those who have died during demonstrations against the military coup in Yangon on March 13, 2021. They wear face masks to protect against COVID-19.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: The Emerging New Politics of Gen Z

The atrocities committed by Tatmadaw soldiers have changed not only Myanmar’s political landscape but fundamentally transformed its political psyche.

Jun. 3, 2021 Saw Kapi

Myanmar migrants in Thailand take part in a protest against the military coup in their home country, in front of the United Nations ESCAP building in Bangkok on March 7, 2021. They wear face masks to protect themselves from contracting COVID-19. Many wave the flag of Myanmar.

Beyond the Coup: Can the United Nations Escape Its History in Myanmar?

After decades of awkward and all-around frustrating engagement, the U.N. needs to step forward with a more flexible and conscious approach that shows it has learned from past mistakes.

May 27, 2021 Ambassador Kelley Currie

Protesters wearing traditional Shan dress hold signs as they take part in a demonstration on boats against the Myanmar military coup in Inle lake, Shan state on February 11, 2021. One boat carries people holding letters spelling out, “Get out dictators.”

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: The Need for an Inclusive Accountability

The Feb. 1 coup made it clear that when it comes to maintaining its grip on power, the Tatmadaw does not discriminate. The brutality with which it has consistently engaged with…

May 20, 2021 Carmen Cheung

Spent bullet casings are seen lying on the ground near the spot where Chit Min Thu, 25, was killed in clashes on March 11, 2021 in Yangon, Myanmar.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: A Crisis Born from Impunity

The roots of the coup can be found both domestically, in the 2008 Constitution, and in the failure of the international community to hold Myanmar's military to account.

May 18, 2021 Grant Shubin and Akila Radhakrishnan

Indonesian police wearing face masks and carrying large guns guard the site of an ASEAN emergency meeting on Myanmar on April 24, 2021 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: The ASEAN Way Must Change

The regional bloc has long adopted a non-interventionist stance in the name of regional stability. But the Myanmar coup shows how this stance actually undermines stability - and…

May 14, 2021 Vanessa Chong and Tanyalak Thongyoojaroen

A Myanmarese policeman, who fled Myanmar and crossed illegally to India, looks at a picture of detained Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on his social media at an undisclosed location in India's northeastern state of Mizoram on March 13, 2021. Other people sit on the ground nearby.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: The Other De-Platforming We Should Have Been Talking About

Facebook has been moderating the Myanmar military's Facebook access for years. The military still used the platform to effectuate its coup. What can we learn from this failure…

May 11, 2021 Jenny Domino

A general view of Pinlaung Township, in the Pa-O self-administered zone of Shan State in eastern-central Myanmar, shows clouds swirling around tree-covered mountains.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: A Northern View

A civil society leader from Myanmar's volatile northeast border reflects on the unthinkable challenges in her work since the coup - and the hidden blessings of life in a "conflict…

May 6, 2021 Taylor Landis

Monks take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on March 11, 2021. They carry umbrellas reading, “R2P” standing for the Responsibility to Protect and “CRPH” standing for the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. The demonstrators wear face masks. Other demonstrators wear hard hats and raise three fingers in the air.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: Don’t Ignore the Religious Dimensions

The changing nature of how religion intersects with political protest reveals much about how the country as a whole is changing, and what its future holds.

May 3, 2021 Susan Hayward

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres removes his protective facemask prior to attending a press conference, following the 5+1 meeting on Cyprus, in Geneva, on April 29, 2021. Behind him is a clock and the UN flag.

National Security This Week at the United Nations (April 23-30)

Secretary-General Chairs Three Days of Talks to Revive Cyprus Peace Negotiations Beginning Tuesday, Secretary-General António Guterres chaired three days of talks in Geneva to…

Apr. 30, 2021 Sruthi Venkatachalam

Representatives from Karen ethnic group take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on February 11, 2021. They wear face masks and hold signs that read, “Abolish the 2008 Constitution,” “Establish a new federal union,” and “End censorship.”

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: Inside Karen State

The coup has been a "nightmare" for democracy supporters across Myanmar - but for those in Karen State, protests have brought cautious hope and unity. A view from the ground.

Apr. 30, 2021 Taylor Landis

Police in full riot gear including weapons, shields, helmets and face masks hold their firearms as they approach protesters during a demonstration against the military coup in Naypyidaw on March 8, 2021. Only the back of the protestors’ heads are visible in this image.

Do Economic Sanctions in Response to Gross Human Rights Abuses Do Any Good?

Sanctions on both Myanmar and China, for example, can have an impact in mitigating abuses, albeit in different ways.

Apr. 29, 2021 Aryeh Neier

Artwork of protestors with signs reading, “Freedom of Expression,” “Rule of Law,” and a slashed “Corruption” sign. Blood is splattered across the protestors. In the top corner, a hand places a paper into a ballot box.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: “In Accordance with the Law” – How the Military Perverts Rule of Law to Oppress Civilians

The Tatmadaw have used the concept of "law" to justify both arbitrary violence against anti-coup protestors and the coup itself. But what would true "rule of law" mean in Myanmar?

Apr. 28, 2021 Pwint Htun