In an adapted extract from his new book 'Return of the Junta: Why Myanmar’s military must go back to the barracks', journalist Oliver Slow reports on his September 2017 trip to the refugee camps in Bangladesh at the height of the Myanmar military’s crackdown against the Rohingya.
Myanmar's military authorities announced a third six-month extension to a state of emergency on Wednesday, effectively delaying elections the junta had pledged to hold by August, citing instability caused by continued resistance attacks as the reason for the move.
Seizing Myanmar’s borders with Bangladesh and India has become central to the Arakan Army’s dream of autonomy and has driven its strategy during times of war and peace.
Myanmar’s parallel government is funding weapons and public services through a digital currency in a bid to break the junta’s grip on the banks. But progress is slow and the system has weaknesses that could limit its uptake.