Myanmar’s pro-democracy forces can win. They need our help to do so.

Nov. 8 marked the third anniversary of elections in Myanmar, whose results were overturned by a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021. The coup set in motion some of the largest, most diverse protests in the country’s history, which subsequently led to a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy activists. Today, the junta is prosecuting [waging] a war of terror [see video], marked by airstrikes against civilians, the blocking of humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable, and the arrests of thousands of political prisoners.

In recent weeks, however, the junta is facing serious military setbacks, especially in the country’s north, at the hands of an alliance of fighters composed of the country’s ethnic minorities. According to the U.S. Institute of Peace, these groups, fighting with “unprecedented coordination,” have overrun more than 100 military outposts, many near the country’s border with China, imperiling trade routes that provide vital revenue for the junta.*

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Myanmar’s pro-democracy forces offer the only pathway to a durable peace. We are witnessing unprecedented solidarity between Myanmar’s civic and political leaders, including the country’s ethnic minorities, who have been fighting for their rights since independence in 1948. The movement is made up of the National Unity Government [see video] (the country’s parallel civilian administration [See #198 by DoD/CIA-asset Gene Sharp]), numerous ethnic nationality organizations and resistance forces, and a thick network of aligned civic groups. If given the chance, they are prepared to govern a more democratic, federal Myanmar, also known as Burma. The United States must help them succeed.

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Beyond the civil servants, many soldiers also joined the resistance just after the coup. And desertions appear to be ticking up. Last month, in Myanmar’s Shan state, an entire battalion laid down its arms. The democracy movement is embracing these newcomers in an effort to underscore that the military will have a role in the country’s democratic future.

However, the military remains entrenched and well-funded, mainly because of its control of the state’s energy export revenue. The junta’s financial lifeline needs to be more effectively targeted. Although a bevy of sanctions are in place, implementation and enforcement have been uneven. Such shortcomings can be addressed, as evidenced most recently with efforts to sanction Russia. In that case, a group composed of pro-democracy researchers, civil society representatives and international experts pinpointed gaps in the enforcement of sanctions and proposed more stringent measures. That approach should be replicated here. New measures could include suspending or escrowing payments for Myanmar’s exported gas, as well as clamping down on imports of jet fuel, ending the junta’s barbaric air campaign against civilians.

Related:

See: Regime Change/Color Revolution Keywords.

NED/CIA-funded: Myanmar Election Body Dissolves Pro-Democracy Party in Kokang Region

The junta-appointed Union Election Commission on Monday dissolved the Shan State Kokang Democratic Party (SSKPD), the major rival of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in Kokang Self-Administered Zone [northern Shan State].

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Following a large-scale offensive by the Brotherhood Alliance in northern Shan State, the regime declared martial law in Kokang’s capital, Laukkai, with Brigadier-General Tun Tun Myint of the Myanmar military taking charge of the town.

The SSKDP traces its roots to the pro-democracy uprising in 1988.** It won its first constituency in Kunlong Township in the 1990 general election.

*Three Brotherhood Alliance (like the Muslim Brotherhood?!):

During the Myanmar civil war, the group fought mainly in Rakhine State and northern Shan State. On October 27, 2023, the alliance launched Operation 1027, an offensive against the junta in northern Shan state.

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During the **8888 Uprising [color revolution] Aung San Suu Kyi [see video] emerged as a national icon…

…Activists have compared the current coup resistance movement [Spring Revolution] to the 8888 Uprising.”

– Wikipedia