Myanmar s internal conflicts may heat up unless military gets smart
The civil wars that have roiled the country for 73 years pose both a threat and an opportunity for military leaders
Military vehicles move along a street in Mandalay on Feb. 2 as Myanmar s generals appeared in firm control a day after a surgical coup that saw democracy heroine Aung San Suu Kyi detained. (Photo: AFP)
In the early hours of Feb. 1, when it was apparent that Myanmar’s feared military known as the Tatmadaw was rounding up the country most senior politicians in the first step of a lightning coup, respected historian and author Thant Mynt-U tweeted: “The doors just opened to a very different future. I have a sinking feeling that no one will really be able to control what comes next. And remember Myanmar is a country awash in weapons, with deep divisions across ethnic and religious lines, where millions can barely feed themselves.”