Four years ago, on February 1, 2021, Myanmar’s military launched a ruthless coup, ousting the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The generals, long accustomed to crushing dissent with an iron fist, likely expected an easy victory. But the courageous defiance of the Myanmar people has proven them wrong.
A Nation Resists
In the face of brutal repression, Myanmar’s resistance movement has flourished. Across the country, People’s Defence Force units, allied with ethnic armed groups, are battling the junta’s forces. The opposition National Unity Government, formed from the remnants of Suu Kyi’s party, estimates it now controls a remarkable 79% of Myanmar’s territory.
This defiance has come at a terrible cost. Over 4 million people are displaced, half the population lives in poverty, and less than 50% have electricity access. The UN warns of impending famine in Rakhine state, where Rohingya Muslims are especially vulnerable. The junta’s bloody tactics – mass killings, torture, sexual violence, civilian bombings – aim to break the resistance through sheer terror.
Cracks in the Junta’s Armor
Yet for all its brutality, the junta’s grip is slipping. Military losses are mounting:
- 95 towns captured by rebels
- Hundreds of bases overrun
- Key trade routes severed
- Two regional commands lost
Tensions are emerging within the military leadership, with calls for coup leader Min Aung Hlaing to step down. China, a key backer, is pressing for sham elections to provide a veneer of legitimacy. But the people have made clear they will not compromise with the generals.
Many in Myanmar have concluded that military rule is no longer an inevitability and that they cannot compromise with the junta, because it has shown it will not compromise with them.
A Vision for a New Myanmar
Myanmar’s opposition, while fragmented, shares a vision of a democratic federal union – free from the military’s iron grip. Optimists believe the junta can be defeated within years, but the path ahead is perilous. The international community must not abandon Myanmar in this critical hour.
Targeted sanctions, humanitarian aid, and support for civil society will be vital. Cutting off the junta’s jet fuel supplies is an urgent priority to halt aerial attacks on civilians. Most importantly, the world must stand in solidarity with the Myanmar people’s courageous struggle.
Hope Amidst the Darkness
Four years after the coup, Myanmar stands at a crossroads. The junta’s reign of terror has devastated the nation, yet failed to extinguish the flame of resistance. In cities and villages, in jungle camps and refugee settlements, the Myanmar people’s defiant hope for a brighter future lives on.
A different, federal vision for the country cannot and should not be written off.
The road to freedom will be long and hard, paid for in blood and tears. But if the world stands with them, the indomitable spirit of Myanmar may yet prevail against tyranny. For in the end, it is not generals and guns, but the courage and determination of ordinary people that shapes the destiny of nations.
