Myanmar Faces a Fragmented Future

Five years after the coup and a protracted civil war, the junta and pro-democracy rebels have failed to consolidate power

- Shrabana Barua

On February 1, 2025, Myanmar's civil war entered its fifth year. Since the Tatmadaw waged a coup, life in the country has changed for all. The legitimate National League for Democracy-led government was never allowed to come to power despite winning the 2020 elections. Its leaders and supporters were arrested, and a state of emergency was declared for a year. A new government, the State Administrative Council (SAC), was formed by the military. It was led by a senior general, Min Aung Hlaing (MAH), the commander-in-chief of the army. MAH soon declared himself as the Prime Minister of Myanmar, a position that does not exist under the 2008 Constitution. Elections were promised within a year.

In 2025, elections in Myanmar are under speculation; opposition leaders and anti-junta supporters continue to remain arrested, and attempts to find solutions to the civil war continue to be made by external players, without much success. The people of Myanmar continue to suffer. As the junta uses age-old tactics of burning down villages, aerial bombings, and executions to be in control, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Myanmar has crossed 3.3 million.