ABSTRACT
Myanmar has suffered from a multitude of related, yet distinct, internal conflicts since gaining independence from British India in 1948. War in post-colonial Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is historically linked to successive governments efforts to consolidate control over the country's peripheries, where a diverse array of ethnic minorities reside. Under existential threat, the military responded with fanatic attacks on its opponents and their civilian supporters, thrusting Myanmar into an era of violent destruction unseen since the Second World War. Violent events occurred in nearly 300 of Myanmar's 330 townships, making it difficult for the regime to administer the country and protect its economic interests. Long considered an internal conflict, the war in Myanmar saw the increased involvement of Russia and China through arms transfers and support during the reporting period.
