Myanmar (Burma): Civil War & Ethnic Insurgencies

• Nature: One of the world’s longest-running internal armed conflicts.
• Reasons
  • Ethnic marginalisation
  • Military dominance
  • Democratic suppression
• Major Actors
  • Myanmar military (Tatmadaw)
  • Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs): Kachin, Karen, Shan, Arakan Army
  • Pro-democracy People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) after 2021 coup.
• Current Status: Intensified nationwide conflict post-2021 coup; humanitarian crisis and refugee flows to India and Thailand.

Thailand–Cambodia Conflict (Border Dispute)

• Nature
  • Inter-state border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
  • Periodic armed skirmishes rather than a full-scale war.
• Reasons
  • Sovereignty over areas surrounding the Preah Vihear Temple (11th-century Khmer temple).
  • Colonial-era boundary demarcation (Franco-Siamese maps) led to overlapping claims.
• Role of Regional & International Actors
  • ASEAN: Mediation and observers (limited by non-interference norm).
  • ICJ: Legal clarification reduced military tensions.
• Current Status
  • Largely stable, with joint committees managing the border.
  • Risk of flare-ups persists during political transitions or nationalist mobilization.