10 July 2026 – Myanmar in Crisis: Conflict, Resistance and the Prospects for Peace

Description

Since the military coup of February 2021, Myanmar has entered one of the most turbulent periods in its modern history. Mass protests against military rule quickly evolved into a nationwide armed resistance, drawing together long-standing ethnic armed organisations and newly formed anti-coup forces. The result is a complex and rapidly changing conflict that has transformed the country’s political landscape.

This lecture will provide an overview of developments since the coup, situating them within Myanmar’s longer history of contested state-building and stalled political transition. It will explore how patterns of conflict, alliance and governance are evolving across the country, and interacting with the role of powerful neighbouring states, including China, along with new players, such as Russia. The talk will conclude by considering what these dynamics might mean for Myanmar’s future and the prospects for peace and democratic change.