cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/8860610
Myanmar’s military is facing its biggest military challenge since it seized power in a coup more than two years ago, after an alliance of opponents cut off key trading routes and seized towns and dozens of outposts near the Chinese border.
Ah, this choice again.
Do you support dictators or Islamic insurgents? At least this time the insurgents have an army and don’t primarily rely on terrorism, whereas the dictator is accused of genocide.
It’s true it’s not black and white because a lot of the long-term insurgents are drug-runners. That said Arakan Army is not islamic. Those are ethnic Arakans who want more autonomy in their state, and sees the Rohingyas who are muslims as a political threat in their state. Islamic insurgency in Myanmar is not a sizable group, despite training they’ve received from islamic militia groups elsewhere in the world.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Tar Parn La, a spokesperson and deputy general of Ta’ang National Liberation Army, one of three groups forming the Brotherhood Alliance, which led the operation, told the Guardian it had taken more than 100 military outposts.
China has called for stability on the border and has for months been signalling its desire for Myanmar to crack down on criminal scam operations targeting its nationals, which are booming in the area.
Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup in February 2021, and has since faced determined opposition from the public, including many who took up arms and formed people’s defence forces to overthrow its rule.
That the operation managed to progress so rapidly reflects the low morale and pressure on military resources, said Richard Horsey, Myanmar adviser to International Crisis Group, a non-profit that produces analysis of conflicts around the world.
A local resident of Lashio in northern Shan state told the Guardian that in the early hours of 27 October, as the offensive began, she could see missiles landing on military camps, in the mountains, about a 15-minute drive away.
Maung Saungkha, a prominent poet who joined the armed resistance after the coup, and whose group Bamar People Liberation Army, had coordinated with the Brotherhood Alliance, said last week’s operations had already prompted wider waves of attacks against the military across the country.
The original article contains 894 words, the summary contains 223 words. Saved 75%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!