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Internal conflict in Myanmar facts for kids

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Internal conflict in Myanmar
Myanmar2022.png
Map of the military situation in Myanmar in 2022.
Date 2 April 1948 (1948-04-02) – present
(76 years, 8 months, 2 weeks and 6 days)
Location
Myanmar (Burma)
Status

Ongoing

  • Major ethnic conflicts in Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Rakhine, and Shan State
  • Ceasefires signed by various groups since 1989
  • Autonomous self-administered zones created for ethnic minorities by the 2008 Constitution of Myanmar
  • Military junta concedes de jure rule over Myanmar in 2011 and instigates a series of political reforms
  • Military reasserts de jure control over the country after the 2021 coup d'état, prompting anti-coup protests and insurgencies
Combatants

State Administration Council

Supported by:
Former combatants:
 Union of Burma (1948–1962)
Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma (1962–1988)
Union of Myanmar (1988–2011)
Formerly supported by:
 Yugoslavia (1952–1988)

National Unity Government

  • People's Defence Force
  • Ethnic armed organisations
  • Supported by:
  •  China (alleged)
Strength
350,000 soldiers Total number of fighters unknown
Casualties and losses
~150,000 killed
600,000–1,000,000 internally displaced

The internal conflict in Myanmar refers to fighting between government soldiers and rebels in Myanmar, which began shortly after the country, formerly known as Burma, separated from the United Kingdom in 1948. The government of Myanmar has fought different rebel groups from different ethnic minorities. The cause of the conflict is the government's refusal to give minority groups such as the communists and the Karen people the amount of political representation that they want. Since the beginning of the fighting, hundreds of thousands of civilians in Myanmar have been killed and millions have become refugees.

Images for kids

  • They go back

    "They have gone back": Members of the CPB's delegation to the failed 1963 peace talks, returning to their bases by foot, c. November 1963.

  • Aung San Suu Kyi & Min Aung Hlaing collage

    State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi (left) was deposed in a military coup led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (right) on 1 February 2021.

  • Kachin Independence Army cadets in Laiza (Paul Vrieze-VOA)

    Cadets of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) preparing for military drills at the group's headquarters in Laiza

  • KNLA medic treating displaced civilians (Steve Sandford-VOA)

    A KNLA medic treats IDPs in Hpapun District, Kayin State.

  • Rohingya mujahid surrenders (1961)

    A Rohingya mujahid surrenders his weapon to Brigadier-General Aung Gyi, 4 July 1961.

  • Myanmar police patrolling in Maungdaw

    Members of the Myanmar Police Force patrolling in Maungdaw in September 2017.

  • UWSA soldiers stand at attention during ceremonies

    UWSA troops standing at attention during a military ceremony.

  • Mae La refugee camp2

    Mae La Camp in Tak, Thailand, one of the largest of nine UNHCR camps in Thailand where over 700,000 refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons have fled.

  • Kutupalong Refugee Camp (Maaz Hussain-VOA)

    Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, home to nearly 550,000 Rohingya refugees who live in makeshift shelters.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Conflicto interno de Birmania para niños

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