A break-up would send destabilising shock waves across the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh and all of south-east Asia. The humanitarian implications for its 54 million people are dire. A collapse would boost separatist forces and non-state actors elsewhere and severely dent China's claims to regional leadership. If President Xi Jinping cannot manage Myanmar, what price Beijing's superpower pretensions?
Reasons to fear an implosion proliferate. About two-thirds of the country is beyond the junta's control, led by Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing. An offensive begun last October by northern ethnic armed groups has rocked a desperate, illegitimate regime whose writ is confined increasingly to the capital, Naypyidaw, and urban areas.
This story is from the September 06, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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This story is from the September 06, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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