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World at War

Myanmar Civil War

2021 – ongoing Southeast Asia Status: active Casualties: 50,000+ estimated

Ignited by the February 2021 coup. Ethnic armies and People's Defense Forces now control large rural areas; the junta retains cities via airpower. Operation 1027 shifted the balance significantly in 2023–24.

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Belligerents

  • Military junta (SAC)
  • PDF
  • Ethnic armed organizations

Casualties

50,000+ estimated

Key events

  • Feb 2021 — Coup
  • 2023 — Operation 1027 (resistance offensive)
  • 2024 — Junta loses borders & Rakhine

Aftermath

Ongoing. Tatmadaw in worst position in its history; resistance controls ~50% of territory by 2024. Massive cyberscam economy in border regions affecting global victims. Rohingya genocide context unresolved. China hedging between junta and ethnic armed organizations.

Weapons & matériel

  • Junta: Russian/Chinese jets (MiG-29, JF-17), helicopter gunships, artillery
  • Resistance: 3D-printed firearms, drones (consumer + custom), captured arms

Technology

Civilian resistance has produced a notable 3D-printed weapons movement (FGC-9 rifles); drone strikes by lightly-resourced PDFs

Economy

Kyat collapsed; black-market economy + jade/rare earth smuggling sustains junta

Sources

  • ACLED
  • Frontier Myanmar
  • ISP Myanmar
From World at War, an interactive atlas by Jairus Pereira. Figures are approximate, drawn from Wikipedia, UCDP, ACLED and academic sources — a design artefact, not an authoritative register. Contact.