109-407: Military (8) Mon National Party (2) All Mon Region Democracy Party (1) Mon State Hluttaw ( Burmese : မွန်ပြည်နယ်လွှတ်တော် ) is the legislature of the Burmese state of Mon State . It is a unicameral body, consisting of 31 members, including 23 elected members and 7 military representatives. As of February 2016, the Hluttaw was led by speaker Tin Ei of
218-646: A United Nations investigator has documented apparent war crimes by the Myanmar military and released shocking footage of brutal killings allegedly in Sagaing region. On 10 May, 30 men were captured after a Myanmar military raid in Mon Taing Pin village, in Ayadaw . At least five of them later appear dead, their hands bound, shot from behind. Few images obtained by Radio Free Asia (RFA) gives damning evidence of
327-614: A state within a state . According to the Constitution of Myanmar , the Tatmadaw is led by the commander-in-chief of Defence Services . Some actions of the Tatmadaw require the approval of the National Defence and Security Council , an eleven-member national security council responsible for security and defence affairs in Myanmar. The president of Myanmar has no command role over the Tatmadaw, though he may work with
436-501: A Burmese battalion in the 70th Burma Rifles, a Burmese company in the 85th Burma Rifles , and seven Burmese Mechanical Transport companies. In addition, three companies ( combat units ) of Burma Sappers and Miners , made up of mostly Burmese, and a company of Labour Corps , made up of Chins and Burmese, were also raised. All these units began their overseas assignment in 1917. The 70th Burma Rifles served in Egypt for garrison duties while
545-587: A Myanmar court sentenced a filmmaker to one year in prison with hard labor for criticizing the military on Facebook. A Burmese filmmaker, Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi , was arrested on 12 April 2019 and formally charged under section 505(a) of the Myanmar Penal Code on 1 August 2019, for one-year prison on charges of criticizing the Myanmar military in his Facebook post. Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi is also
654-623: A bag of rice or a can of petrol." The UN's Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy , who stepped down from her position a week later, met representatives of the Government of Myanmar on 5 July 2012 and stated that she hoped the government's signing of an action plan would "signal a transformation". In September 2012 the Burmese Army released 42 child soldiers and
763-406: A defence cooperation agreement. The agreement will envisage exchanging information on international security issues, including fight against terrorism, cooperation in the sphere of culture and vacation of servicemen and their families, along with exchanging experience in peacekeeping activities. Moreover, in response to Naypyidaw's post-2011 political and economic reforms, Australia re-established
872-402: A deliberate tactic", Amnesty's Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia said. On 30 June 2013, rioters in the west coast town of Thandwe burned two homes. The riot had started because of rumours that a Muslim man had raped an underage girl, or territory dispute between Rakhine and Muslim trishaw riders. Three Muslims were injured in the fire. Roads in and out of the town were blocked and
981-609: A founder of the Human Dignity Film Institute (HDFI) and the Human Rights , Human Dignity International Film Festival. Nicholas Bequelin Director for East and South East Asia at Amnesty , condemned the punishment and called it 'cruel' considering serious health ailments that Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi is suffering from, one of which is liver cancer that demands specialist treatment. On June 19, 2020, HRW urged
1090-570: A government spokesperson said the Myanmar police were working to find the offenders. On 21 March 2022, the Biden administration declared that Myanmar's military has committed genocide against the Rohingya minority. The Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US has seen evidence pointing to a clear intent to destroy the Rohingya, with reports of killings, mass rape, and arson. On 4 July 2022,
1199-418: A humiliating defeat for the Tatmadaw. The Tatmadaw leadership then argued that the excessive media coverage was partly to blame for the failure of Operation "Naga Naing". For example, Brigadier General Maung Maung pointed out that newspapers, such as the "Nation", carried reports detailing the training and troops positioning, even went as far to the name and social background of the commanders who are leading
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#17327835038301308-780: A member of the Thirty Comrades , became Commander of North Burma Subdistrict Command (NBSD). Due to deteroriating political situations in 1957, the then Prime Minister of Burma , U Nu invited General Ne Win to form a " Caretaker Government " and handed over power on 28 October 1958. Under the stewardship of the Military Caretaker Government, parliamentary elections were held in February 1960. Several high-ranking and senior officers were dismissed due to their involvement and supporting various political parties. The elections of 1960 had put U Nu back as
1417-463: A resolution calling on governments to cease any relations with the country that might aid the junta to continue the use of forced labour. Trade unions were banned when General Ne Win came to power in 1962. In 2010, amid growing calls for reform to labour laws, unofficial industrial action was taken at a number of garment factories in Rangoon, causing concern at government level. In October 2011, it
1526-458: A result of this policy Rohingya people have been described as "among the world’s least wanted" and "one of the world's most persecuted minorities". Since a 1982 citizenship law Rohingya have been stripped of their Burmese citizenship. In 2012, a riot broke out between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, which left 78 people dead, 87 injured, and thousands of homes destroyed. It also displaced more than 52,000 people. As of July 2012,
1635-503: A strength of approximately 15,000. Disillusioned by the Japanese occupation , the BNA switched sides, and joined the allied forces on 27 March 1945. At the time of Myanmar's independence in 1948, the Tatmadaw was weak, small and disunited. Cracks appeared along the lines of ethnic background , political affiliation , organisational origin and different services. The most serious problem
1744-482: A ‘normal’ bilateral relationship with Myanmar to support democratisation and reform. In June 2016, the Australian Federal Police signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with its Myanmar counterparts aimed at enhancing transnational crime cooperation and intelligence sharing. In December 2017, the US imposed sanctions on General Maung Maung Soe , a general of Western Myanmar Command who oversaw
1853-518: Is being held in solitary confinement serving a 17-year sentence following a series of secret trials. Evidence has been gathered which suggests that the Burmese regime has marked certain ethnic minorities such as the Karen , Karenni and Shan for extermination or 'Burmisation'. This, however, has received little attention from the international community since it has been more subtle and indirect than
1962-452: Is no freedom of speech, assembly or association." From 2005 to 2007 NGOs found that violations of human rights included the absence of an independent judiciary , restrictions on Internet access through software-based censorship, that forced labour , human trafficking , and child labour were common, and that sexual violence was abundantly used as an instrument of control, including systematic rapes and taking of sex slaves as porters for
2071-468: Is reportedly rampant both at the higher and local levels." Brad Adams , director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, in a 2004 address described the human rights situation in the country as appalling: "Burma is the textbook example of a police state. Government informants and spies are omnipresent. Average Burmese people are afraid to speak to foreigners except in most superficial of manners for fear of being hauled in later for questioning or worse. There
2180-1070: Is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army , the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force . Auxiliary services include the Myanmar Police Force , the Border Guard Forces , the Myanmar Coast Guard , and the People's Militia Units. Since independence in 1948, the Tatmadaw has faced significant ethnic insurgencies , especially in Chin , Kachin , Kayin , Kayah , and Shan states. General Ne Win took control of
2289-500: Is tightly controlled by the government. Newspapers, journals and other publications are run under the Ministry of Information and undergo heavy censorship before publication. Reporters face severe consequences for criticising government officials, policy, or even reporting on criticism. Restrictions on media censorship were significantly eased in August 2012 following demonstrations by hundreds of protesters who wore shirts demanding that
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#17327835038302398-573: The 2011–2012 Kachin Conflict . On 21 March 2022, in the 49th session of United Nations Human Rights Council Michelle Bachelet stated that the systematic brutality by security forces known as the Tatmadaw has inflamed pre-existing armed conflicts in multiple ethnic states. Amidst a “profound crisis” facing access to basic human rights in Myanmar following the coup in February 2021, hundreds of localized armed resistance groups have now formed across
2507-597: The 2015 election ; after the USDP lost another election in 2020 , the Tatmadaw annulled the election and deposed the civilian government . The Tatmadaw has been widely accused by international organizations of human rights violation and crimes against humanity ; including ethnic cleansing , political repression , torture , sexual assault , war crimes , extrajudicial punishments (including summary executions ) and massacre of civilians involved in peaceful political demonstrations . The Tatmadaw has long operated as
2616-531: The Chevron Corporation . They charged that since the early 1990s, Unocal has joined hands with dictators in Burma to turn thousands of its citizens into virtual slaves. Unocal, before being purchased, stated that they had no knowledge or connection to these alleged actions although it continued working in Burma. This was believed to be the first time an American corporation has been sued in a US court on
2725-565: The East India Company forces (and later the British Indian Army ), instead relying on pre-existing Indian sepoys and Nepalese Gurkhas to garrison the nascent colony. Due to mistrust of the Burmese population, the colonial government maintained this ban for decades, instead looking to the indigenous Karens , Kachins and Chins to form new military units in the colony. In 1937, the colonial government overturned
2834-564: The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions several hundred thousand men, women, children and elderly people are forced to work against their will by the administration. Individuals refusing to work may be victims of torture, rape or murder. The International Labour Organization has continuously called on Burma to end the practice of forced labour since the 1960s. In June 2000, the ILO Conference adopted
2943-980: The International Labour Organization met with representatives of the government as well as the Kachin Independence Army to secure the release of more child soldiers. According to Samantha Power , a US delegation raised the issue of child soldiers with the government in October 2012. However, she did not comment on the government's progress towards reform in this area. A 2002 report by The Shan Human Rights Foundation and The Shan Women's Action Network , License to Rape , details 173 incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence , involving 625 girls and women, committed by Tatmadaw (Burmese Army) troops in Shan State, mostly between 1996 and 2001. The authors note that
3052-584: The Myanma Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL) and the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC). Revenues generated from these business interests have strengthened the Burmese military's autonomy from civilian oversight, and have contributed to the military's financial operations in "a wide array of international human rights and humanitarian law violations." Revenues from MEHL and MEC are kept "off-book," enabling
3161-546: The National League for Democracy (NLD). In 2015 general election , the National League for Democracy (NLD) won the most contested seats in the legislature. Myanmar Armed Forces The Tatmadaw ( Burmese : တပ်မတော် ; MLCTS : tatma.taw , IPA: [taʔmədɔ̀] , lit. ' Grand Armed Forces ' ), also known as Sit-Tat ( Burmese : စစ်တပ် ; MLCTS : cactap. , IPA: [sɪʔtaʔ] , lit. ' Armed Forces ' ),
3270-528: The military is commonplace. An estimated 70,000 of the country's 350,000–400,000 soldiers are children. There are also multiple reports of widespread child labour . Child soldiers have and continued to play a major part in the Burmese Army as well as Burmese rebel movements. The Independent reported in June 2012 that "Children are being sold as conscripts into the Burmese military for as little as $ 40 and
3379-683: The military's crackdown in Rakhine State. The Tatmadaw had sentenced seven soldiers to 10-year prison terms for killing 10 Rohingya men in Rakhine in September 2017. A 2019 UN report revealed the degree to which the country's military uses its own businesses, foreign companies and arms deals to support, away from the public eye, a “brutal operations” against ethnic groups that constitute “serious crimes under international law”, bypassing civilian oversight and evading accountability. In June 2020,
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3488-411: The war effort being the important element of the doctrine. The objective was to contain the offensive of the invading forces at the border for at least three months, while waiting for the arrival of international forces, similar to the police action by international intervention forces under the directive of United Nations during the war on Korean peninsula . However, the conventional strategy under
3597-586: The "country's more than 2,100 political prisoners included about 429 members of the NLD, the victors in the 1990 elections." As of July 2013, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners , there were about 100 political prisoners in Burmese prisons. On 9 November 2012, Samantha Power , US President Barack Obama 's Special Assistant to the President on Human Rights, wrote on
3706-691: The 17th and 18th centuries respectively, the army proved unable to match the military strength of the British Empire in the 19th century, losing the First , Second and Third Anglo-Burmese Wars . On 1 January 1886, the Royal Burmese Army was formally disbanded by the British government . Under British rule , the colonial government in Burma abstained from recruiting Burmese soldiers into
3815-508: The 19th century. The army was organised into a small standing army of a few thousands, which defended the capital and the palace, and a much larger conscription -based wartime army. Conscription was based on the ahmudan system, which required local chiefs to supply their predetermined quota of men from their jurisdiction on the basis of population in times of war. The wartime army also consisted of elephantry , cavalry , artillery and naval units. Firearms , first introduced from China in
3924-594: The Adjutant General Office. The Quarter Master General office also had three branch offices: QG-1 planning, procurement, and budget; QG-2 maintenance, construction, and cantonment; and QG-3 transportation. Under the QMG office were Garrison Engineering Corps, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Corps, Military Ordnance Corps, and the Supply and Transport Corps. Both AG and QMG office similar structure to
4033-600: The Army in Burma had been placed for command and general administration under [it]. As it was, up to November 1940 Burma was directly under the War Office at home; it was then placed under Far Eastern Command at Singapore. Neither arrangement even bordered upon common sense, but although three times in 1940 and 1941 successive commanders-in-chief urged the authorities in the United Kingdom to place Burma [under India], it
4142-616: The Army shoots, it has no tradition of shooting into the Air, it would shoot straight to hit". Subsequently, the 22 Light Infantry Division, 33 Light Infantry Division and the 44 Light Infantry Division were redeployed to Yangon from front line fighting against ethnic insurgents in the Karen states. Battalions from three Light Infantry Divisions, augmented by infantry battalions under Yangon Regional Military Command and supporting units from Directorate of Artillery and Armour Corps were deployed during
4251-656: The British Burma Army and Army of Burma Reserve Organisation (ABRO). The colonial government also decided to form what were known as "Class Battalions" based on ethnicity. There were a total of 15 rifle battalions at the time of independence and four of them were made up of former members of PBF. None of the influential positions within the War Office and commands were manned with former PBF Officers. All services including military engineers , supply and transport, ordnance and medical services, Navy and Air Force were commanded by former Officers from ABRO. The War Office
4360-779: The Burmese Labour Corps served in France. One company of Burma Sappers and Miners distinguished themselves in Mesopotamia at the crossing the Tigris . After the First World War , the colonial government stopped recruiting Burmese soldiers, and discharged all but one Burmese companies, which had been abolished by 1925. The last Burmese company of Burma Sappers and Miners too was disbanded in 1929. Instead, Indian soldiers and other ethnic minorities were used as
4469-485: The Burmese military. However, the military budget remains opaque and subject to limited civilian scrutiny, and a 2011 Special Funds Law has enabled the Burmese military to circumvent parliamentary oversight to access supplemental funding. Defence budgets were publicly shared for the first time in 2015, and in recent years, parliamentary lawmakers have demanded greater transparency in military spending. The military also generates substantial revenue through 2 conglomerates,
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4578-470: The Burmese regime which has refused to acknowledge them as citizens (despite generations of habitation in the country) and attempted to forcibly expel Rohingya and bring in non-Rohingyas to replace them. This policy has resulted in the expulsion of approximately half of the Rohingya population from Burma. An estimated 90,000 people have been displaced in the recent sectarian violence between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists in Burma's western Rakhine State . As
4687-667: The Chief of Air Staff became the Vice Chief of Staff (Air). On 1 January 1956, the War Office was officially renamed as the Ministry of Defence . General Ne Win became the first Chief of Staff of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) to command all three services – Army, Navy and Air Force – under a single unified command for the first time. Brigadier General Aung Gyi was given the post of Vice Chief of Staff (Army). Brigadier General D. A Blake became commander of South Burma Subdistrict Command (SBSD) and Brigadier General Kyaw Zaw,
4796-605: The General Staff Office, but they only had three ASO-III and three QSO-III respectively. The Navy and Air Force were separate services under the War office but under the chief of staff. As per War Office order No. (9) 1955 on 28 September 1955, the Chief of Staff became the Commander in Chief, the Chief of Army Staff became the Vice Chief of Staff (Army), the Chief of Naval Staff become Vice Chief of Staff (Navy) and
4905-622: The Military Intelligence Service functioned as the secret police of the state. At the height of the Four Eights Uprising against the socialist government, Former General Ne Win , who at the time was chairman of the ruling Burma Socialist Programme Party ( BSPP ), issued a warning against potential protestors during a televised speech. He stated that if the "disturbances" continued the "Army would have to be called and I would like to make it clear that if
5014-595: The Myanmar Government did not include the Rohingya minority group–-classified as stateless Bengali Muslims from Bangladesh since 1982—on the government's list of more than 130 ethnic races and therefore the government says that they have no claim to Myanmar citizenship. The 2012 Rakhine State riots are a series of ongoing conflicts between Rohingya Muslims and ethnic Rakhine in northern Rakhine State , Myanmar. The riots came after weeks of sectarian disputes and have been condemned by most people on both sides of
5123-756: The Myanmar Government has taken the position that the work of the FFM has been irresponsible and unconstructive. In September 2019, for example, U Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, provided comments during a Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. U Kyaw Moe Tun said that the "People of Myanmar, who used to stand with the UN in their long struggle for democracy and human rights, are increasingly disappointed with
5232-407: The Myanmar authorities, the violence, between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, left 78 people dead, 87 injured, and thousands of homes destroyed. It also displaced more than 52,000 people. The government has responded by imposing curfews and by deploying troops in the regions. On 10 June, state of emergency was declared in Rakhine, allowing military to participate in administration of
5341-460: The Myanmar government to immediately end a year-long government-enforced internet shutdown , which has affected more than a million people living in a conflict zone. HRW cited humanitarian workers stating that some villages are unaware of the coronavirus pandemic, due both to the internet shutdown as well as due to humanitarian workers being barred access to the villages. According to Human Rights Watch , recruiting and kidnapping of children into
5450-511: The NDSC in authorizing military action. The name "Tatmadaw" literally means "Royal Armed Forces" in the Burmese language . Since Burma has not been a monarchy since the era prior to British colonial rule, the word "royal" in this usage is understood to mean "glorious". This name has become controversial in Myanmar, especially since 2021, as many people in Myanmar have opposed the military during
5559-538: The Prime Minister and Pyidaungsu Party ( Union Party ) led civilian government resume control of the country. On 2 March 1962, the then Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, General Ne Win staged a coup d'état and formed the " Union Revolutionary Council ". Around midnight the troops began to move into Yangon to take up strategic position. Prime Minister U Nu and his cabinet ministers were taken into protective custody. At 8:50 am, General Ne Win announced
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#17327835038305668-630: The State Administration Council was re-formed as a caretaker government , which appointed Min Aung Hlaing as Prime Minister . The same day, Min Aung Hlaing announced that the country's state of emergency had been extended by an additional two years. As the Myanmar Civil War has progressed, the Tatmadaw has become more reliant on military aid from Russia and China . As of 2023, analysts suggested that
5777-433: The Tatmadaw accused China for arming rebel groups in the country's frontier areas. In February 2021, the Tatmadaw detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other high-ranking politicians after a contested election with disputed results. A state of emergency had been declared for one year. The State Administration Council was established by Min Aung Hlaing on 2 February 2021 as the current government in power. On 1 August 2021,
5886-446: The Tatmadaw does not approve of. In 2010, conscription legislation was passed that compelled able-bodied men and women between 18–45 and 18–35 respectively to serve up to three years in the military, or face significant jail sentences. Following Myanmar's political reforms, Myanmar has made substantial shifts in its relations with major powers China , Russia and the United States . In 2014, Lieutenant-General Anthony Crutchfield ,
5995-403: The Tatmadaw forces, which saw the Rohingya minority facing oppression and, starting in 2017, genocide . In 2008, the Tatmadaw again rewrote Myanmar's constitution , installing the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in the 2010 elections , which were boycotted by most opposition groups. Political reforms over the next half-decade culminated in a sweeping NLD victory in
6104-430: The Tatmadaw has sustained significant losses due to both combat against the pro-democracy insurgents as well as desertions within the rank and file soldiers. The United States Institute for Peace estimates that the Tatamadaw has sustained at least 13,000 combat losses and 8,000 losses due to desertion . The Tatmadaw itself has acknowledged that it does not have control over 132 of Myanmar’s 330 townships, or 42 percent of
6213-415: The UN needed to address. According to Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (HRDP), on 18 April 2007, several of its members (Myint Aye, Maung Maung Lay, Tin Maung Oo and Yin Kyi) were met by approximately a hundred people led by a local official, U Nyunt Oo, and beaten up. Due to the attack, Myint Hlaing and Maung Maung Lay were badly injured and subsequently hospitalised. The HRDP alleged that this attack
6322-412: The UN special rapporteur to Myanmar, stated the Tatmadaw had been emboldened by extra powers granted to them during the coronavirus pandemic . In 2022, the US Secretary of State determined that members of the Burmese military had committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya people. An estimated 1.6 million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, Thailand and India; by the end of 2022,
6431-454: The UNHCR reported that approximately 148,000 Rohingya were being held in displacement camps in the country. Investigations led by Amnesty International concluded that the airstrikes taken place in March/April 2020 by the Myanmar military, killed civilians including children. According to witness testimonies, Myanmar soldiers arbitrarily detained the civilians over alleged link to Arakan Army . The detainees were brutally tortured and beaten by
6540-480: The White House Blog in advance of the President's visit that "Serious human rights abuses against civilians in several regions continue, including against women and children." The United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly called on the former Burmese military governments to respect human rights and in November 2009 the General Assembly adopted a resolution "strongly condemning the ongoing systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms" and calling on
6649-719: The army. Internet has been cut-off for more than a year in the conflicted territory. The civilians are deprived of the humanitarian assistance over COVID-19 pandemic . Amnesty also reported the destruction and burning of villages in Rakhine and Chin State . A 2004 Amnesty International report stated that, between 1989 and 2004, more than 1,300 political prisoners have been imprisoned after unfair trials. The prisoners, including National League for Democracy (NLD) leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo , have "been wrongfully denied their liberty for peaceful acts that would not be considered crimes under international law", Amnesty International claims. The Freedom House report notes that
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#17327835038306758-569: The authorities arbitrarily search citizens' homes, intercept mail, and monitor telephone conversations, and that the possession and use of telephones, fax machines, computers, modems, and software are criminalised. According to Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), there were 1,547 political prisoners in Burma – the number had doubled from 1,100 in 2006 to 2,123 in 2008. As of April 2013, there were 176 political prisoners in Burmese prisons. Political prisoners may be detained on charges seemingly unrelated to politics, complicating
6867-402: The ban, and Burmese troops started to enlist in small numbers in the British Indian Army . At the beginning of the First World War , the only Burmese military regiment in the British Indian Army , the 70th Burma Rifles , consisted of three battalions , made up of Karens , Kachins and Chins . During the conflict, the demands of war led to the colonial government relaxing the ban, raising
6976-538: The brutal operation which reinforce a pattern of killings that bear the hallmarks of the military’s atrocities. Government of Myanmar has been accused by the UN of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population and committing state-sanctioned crimes such as extrajudicial executions , mass murder , genocide , torture , gang rapes and forced displacement against them but Myanmar denies it. In August 2017 new massacres and burning down of Rohingya villages by Myanmar Army were reported. In 2020 Yanghee Lee,
7085-516: The case for their release. For example, National Democratic Force member and land rights activist Daw Bauk Ja was detained by police for medical negligence in 2013, though the detainment was linked to a 2008 death, the case for which had been withdrawn by family of the deceased in 2010. She had run for election in 2010 and also actively campaigned against the Myitsone Dam and took Yuzana Company to court for its land confiscations in Kachin State 's Hukawng Valley region. The Burmese media
7194-413: The command of General Staff Office. According to the war establishment adopted on 14 April 1948, Chief of Staff was under the War Office with the rank of major general . It was subsequently upgraded to a lieutenant general . Vice Chief of Staff was a brigadier general . The Chief of Staff was staffed with GSO-I with the rank of lieutenant colonel , three GSO-II with the rank of major, four GSO-III with
7303-423: The concept of total war was undermined by the lack of appropriate command and control system, proper logistical support structure, sound economic bases and efficient civil defence organisations. At the beginning of the 1950s, while the Tatmadaw was able to reassert its control over most part of the country, Kuomintang (KMT) troops under General Li Mi , with support from the United States , invaded Burma and used
7412-562: The conflict. The immediate cause of the riots is unclear, with many commentators citing the killing of ten Burmese Muslims by ethnic Rakhine after the rape and murder of a 13 years old Rakhine girl by Burmese Muslims as the main cause. Whole villages have been "decimated". Over three hundred houses and a number of public buildings have been razed. According to Tun Khin, the President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK), as of 28 June 650 Rohingyas have been killed, 1,200 are missing, and more than 80,000 have been displaced. According to
7521-491: The country in a 1962 coup d'état , attempting to build an autarkic society called the Burmese Way to Socialism . Following the violent repression of nationwide protests in 1988 , the military agreed to free elections in 1990 , but ignored the resulting victory of the National League for Democracy and imprisoned its leader Aung San Suu Kyi . The 1990s also saw the escalation of the conflict involving Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State due to RSO attacks on
7630-421: The country's renewed civil war and object to the usage of the complimentary term "royal" to describe it. As a result, many Burmese people have taken to using an alternative name "Sit-Tat", which simply means "military" with no positive or negative connotations. Some citizens and activists also use the openly derogatory variant "Sit-kwe", which means "dog-soldiers", in reference to the perceived blind loyalty of
7739-454: The country's frontier as a springboard for attack against China , which in turn became the external threat to state security and sovereignty of Burma. The first phase of the doctrine was tested for the first time in Operation "Naga Naing" in February 1953 against invading KMT forces. The doctrine did not take into account logistic and political support for KMT from the United States and as a result it failed to deliver its objectives and ended in
7848-488: The country's towns. On 10 February 2024, the State Administration Council activated conscription under the 2010 SPDC People's Military Service Law in response to anti-junta ethnic militias and pro-democracy rebels capturing massive swathes of territory. According to an analysis of budgetary data between FY 2011–12 and 2018–19, approximately 13% to 14% of the national budget is devoted to
7957-502: The country, triggering “widespread violence in areas that were previously stable”. In 2022, Freedom House rated Myanmar's religious freedom as 1 out of 4, noting that the constitution provides for freedom of religion and recognises Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and animism. However, some anti-Muslim hate speech and discrimination has been amplified by social media, state institutions and mainstream news websites. The Muslim Rohingya have consistently faced human rights abuses by
8066-536: The coup over the radio. He said " I have to inform you, citizens of the Union that Armed Forces have taken over the responsibility and the task of keeping the country's safety, owing to the greatly deteriorating conditions of the Union. " The country would be ruled by the military for the next 12 years. The Burma Socialist Programme Party became the sole political party and the majority of its full members were military. Government servants underwent military training and
8175-406: The crackdown against the protests began. The armed forces under General Saw Maung formed a State Law and Order Restoration Council , repealed the constitution and declared martial law on 18 September 1988. By late September the military had complete control of the country. In 2008, the current constitution was released by the military government for a public referendum. The SPDC claimed that
8284-649: The deputy commander of the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), was invited to address his counterparts at the Myanmar National Defence College in Naypyidaw , which trains colonels and other high-ranking military officers. In May 2016, Myanmar's Union Parliament approved a military cooperation agreement with Russia following a proposal by Deputy Minister of Defence. In June 2016, Myanmar and Russia signed
8393-548: The early 1950s to cope with external threats from more powerful enemies with a strategy of Strategic Denial under conventional warfare . The perception of threats to state security was more external than internal threats. The internal threat to state security was managed through the use of a mixture of force and political persuasion. Lieutenant Colonel Maung Maung drew up defence doctrine based on conventional warfare concepts, with large infantry divisions , armoured brigades , tanks and motorised war with mass mobilisation for
8502-612: The figures are likely to be far lower than the reality. According to the report, "the Burmese military regime is allowing its troops systematically and on a widespread scale to commit rape with impunity in order to terrorize and subjugate the ethnic peoples of Shan State." Furthermore, the report states that "25% of the rapes resulted in death, in some incidences with bodies being deliberately displayed to local communities. 61% were gang-rapes; women were raped within military bases, and in some cases women were detained and raped repeatedly for periods of up to 4 months." The Burmese government denied
8611-544: The government "Stop Killing the Press". The most significant change has come in the form that media organisations will no longer have to submit their content to a censorship board prior to publication, however, as explained by one editorial in the exiled press Irrawaddy , this new "freedom" has caused some Burmese journalists to simply see the new law as an attempt to create an environment of self-censorship as journalists "are required to follow 16 guidelines towards protecting
8720-667: The government of Myanmar did not work with the Fact Finding Mission (FFM). They neither allow the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar into the country. What the Fact-Finding Mission found and announced was that security forces in Myanmar committed serious violations of international law "that warrant criminal investigation and prosecution", namely crimes against humanity , war crimes , and genocide . In response to these claims,
8829-460: The grounds that the company violated human rights in another country. The Freedom in the World 2004 report by Freedom House notes that "The junta rules by decree, controls the judiciary, suppresses all basic rights, and commits human rights abuses with impunity . Military officers hold all cabinet positions, and active or retired officers hold all top posts in all ministries. Official corruption
8938-401: The late 14th century, became integrated into strategy only gradually over many centuries. The first special musket and artillery units, equipped with Portuguese matchlocks and cannon , were formed in the 16th century. Outside the special firearm units, there was no formal training program for the regular conscripts, who were expected to have a basic knowledge of self-defence, and how to operate
9047-399: The less than objective stand taken by some elements of the UN with respect to Myanmar." Aung San Suu Kyi led the opposition National League for Democracy which was victorious in the 1990 general election . She was imprisoned or under house arrest for 15 out of the 21 years from 1990 to 2010. In 2021, she was imprisoned by the Myanmar military in a coup d'état . As of August 2022, she
9156-545: The mass killings which occurred in places like Rwanda . According to Amnesty International , the Muslim Rohingya people have continued to suffer human rights violations under the rule of the junta which has ruled Burma since 1978, and many of them have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh as a result Violence against Christian communities such as the Kachin has also flared since fighting restarted in June 2011 in
9265-459: The military to autonomously finance military affairs with limited civilian oversight. Between 1990 and 2020, Myanmar's military officers received US$ 18 billion in dividends from MEHL, whose entire board is made up of senior military officials. In the FY 2019–20 national budget, the military was allocated 3,385 billion kyats (approximately US$ 2.4 billion). In May 2020, the Burmese parliament reduced
9374-468: The military's supplementary budgetary request by $ 7.55 million. On 28 October 2014, the Minister for Defence Wai Lwin revealed at a Parliament session that 46.2% of the budget is spent on personnel cost, 32.89% on operation and procurement, 14.49% on construction related projects and 2.76% on health and education. The initial development of Burmese military doctrine post-independence was developed in
9483-531: The military, a practice which continued in 2012. In March 2017, a three-member committee in the United Nations Human Rights Council ran a fact finding mission. This mission was aimed to "establish the facts and circumstances of the alleged recent human rights violations by military and security forces, and abuses, in Myanmar … with a view to ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims". Unfortunately,
9592-613: The military. A strong women's pro-democracy movement has formed in exile, largely along the Thai border and in Chiang Mai . There was also said to be a growing international movement to defend women's human rights issues. In a press release on 16 December 2005 the US State Department said UN involvement in Burma was essential and listed illicit narcotics, human rights abuses and political repression as serious problems that
9701-484: The musket on their own. As the technological gap between European powers widened in the 18th century, the army was dependent on Europeans' willingness to sell more sophisticated weaponry. While the army had held its own against the armies of the kingdom's neighbours, its performance against more technologically advanced European armies deteriorated over time. While it defeated the Portuguese and French intrusions in
9810-505: The operation thus losing the element of surprise. Colonel Saw Myint, who was second in command for the operation, also complained about the long lines of communications and the excessive pressure imposed upon the units for public relations activities to prove that the support of the people was behind the operation. Human rights in Myanmar Human rights in Myanmar under its military regime have long been regarded as among
9919-582: The primary colonial force in Burma , which was used to suppress ethnic Burmese rebellions such as the one led by Saya San from 1930 to 1931. On 1 April 1937, Burma was made a separate colony, and Burmese were now eligible to join the army. But few Burmese bothered to join. Before World War II began, the British Burma Army consisted of Karen (27.8%), Chin (22.6%), Kachin (22.9%), and Burmese 12.3%, without counting their British officer corps. Compton Mackenzie wrote in Eastern Epic that after
10028-545: The rank of captain for operation, training, planning and intelligence, and one Intelligence Officer (IO). The Chief of Staff office also had one GSO-II and one GSO-III for field engineering, and the Chief Signal Officer and a GSO-II for signal. Directorate of Signal and Directorate Field Engineering are also under General Staff Office. Under Adjutant General Office were Judge Advocate General, Military Secretary, and Vice Adjutant General. The Adjutant General (AG)
10137-688: The recruits were Burmese , with little ethnic minority representation. Many of the fresh recruits lacked discipline. At Myaungmya in the Irrawaddy delta , an ethnic war broke out between Burmese BIA men and Karens , with both sides responsible for massacres. The Burma Independence Army was soon replaced with the Burma Defence Army , founded on 26 August 1942 with three thousand BIA veterans. The army became Burma National Army with General Ne Win as its commander on 1 August 1943 when Burma achieved nominal independence. In late 1944, it had
10246-431: The referendum was a success, with an approval rate of 93.82%; however, there has been widespread criticism of the veracity of these claims, partially because Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar a few days before the referendum, and the government did not allow postponement of the referendum. Under the 2008 Constitution, the Tatmadaw is guaranteed 25% of the seats in the parliament, making it difficult to pass meaningful reforms that
10355-765: The region. The Burmese army and police have been accused of targeting Rohingya Muslims through mass arrests and arbitrary violence. A number of monks' organisations that played vital role in Burma's struggle for democracy have taken measures to block any humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya community. In May 2019, Amnesty International accused the Burmese army of committing war crimes and other atrocities in Rakhine State . The army has "killed and injured civilians in indiscriminate attacks since January 2019", Amnesty said. "The new operations in Rakhine State show an unrepentant, unreformed and unaccountable military terrorising civilians and committing widespread violations as
10464-520: The report's findings, stating that insurgents are responsible for violence in the region. A 2003 report "No Safe Place: Burma's Army and the Rape of Ethnic Women" by Refugees International further documents the widespread use of rape by Burma's soldiers to brutalise women from five different ethnic nationalities. Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International also report frequent torture of prisoners, including political prisoners. According to
10573-435: The separation of India and Burma: These military forces were expanded between 1939 and the end of 1941, but the additional strength was impaired by defects inherent in the organisation as it stood before separation. The small and independent military command now set up had been carved out of the experienced Indian organisation with its comparatively large resources; adequate though this may have been for peacetime conditions it
10682-619: The soldiers. The Royal Armed Forces was the armed forces of the Burmese monarchy from the 9th to 19th centuries. It refers to the military forces of the Pagan dynasty , the Ava Kingdom , the Toungoo dynasty and the Konbaung dynasty in chronological order. The army was one of the major armed forces of Southeast Asia until it was defeated by the British over a six-decade span in
10791-446: The suppression of protests in and around the then capital city of Yangon. Initially, these troops were deployed in support of the then People's Police Force (now known as Myanmar Police Force ) security battalions and to patrol the streets of the capital and to guard government offices and building. However, at midnight of 8 August 1988 troops from 22 Light Infantry Division guarding Yangon City Hall opened fire on unarmed protesters as
10900-400: The then-ruling Burmese military junta "to take urgent measures to put an end to violations of international human rights and humanitarian law." Forced labour , human trafficking and child labour are common. The Burmese military junta is also notorious for rampant use of sexual violence as an instrument of control, including allegations of systematic rapes and taking of sex slaves by
11009-411: The three national causes – non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity, perpetuation of sovereignty – and "journalistic ethics" to ensure their stories are accurate and do not jeopardise national security." On 3 September 2018 Myanmar court sentenced two Burmese reporters working for Reuters to seven years in prison allegedly for protecting state secrets. In August 2019,
11118-679: The worst in the world. In 2022, Freedom House rated Myanmar’s human rights at 9 out 100 (not free). International human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International , and the American Association for the Advancement of Science have repeatedly documented and condemned widespread human rights violations in Myanmar. The Freedom in the World 2011 report by Freedom House notes that "The military junta has... suppressed nearly all basic rights; and committed human rights abuses with impunity." In 2011
11227-563: Was a brigadier general whereas the Judge Advocate General (JAG), Military Secretary (MS) and Vice Adjutant General (VAG) were colonels. VAG handles adjutant staff matters and there were also three branch offices; AG-1 planning, recruitment and transfer; AG-2 discipline, moral, welfare, and education; AG-3 salary, pension, and other financial matters. The Medical Corps and the Provost Marshal Office were under
11336-498: Was announced that trade unions had been legalised by a new law. An initiative was launched in 2014 by the Myanmar government and the International Labour Organization , in conjunction with the US, Japan and Denmark, to promote the development of fundamental labour rights and practice in Myanmar. In a landmark legal case, some human rights groups sued the Unocal corporation, previously known as Union Oil of California and now part of
11445-507: Was condoned by the authorities and vowed to take legal action. Human Rights Defenders and Promoters was formed in 2002 to raise awareness among the people of Burma about their human rights . In April 2019, the UN appointed an American prosecutor as head of an independent team that will probe human rights violations in Myanmar's volatile Rakhine state, focusing on atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims. However, Myanmar's ruling political party National League for Democracy disapproved of
11554-675: Was not done until December 15th by which time it was too late." In December 1941, a group of Burmese independence activists founded the Burma Independence Army ( BIA ) with Japanese help. The Burma Independence Army led by Aung San (the father of Aung San Suu Kyi ) fought in the Burma Campaign on the side of the Imperial Japanese Army . Thousands of young men joined its ranks—reliable estimates range from 15,000 to 23,000. The great majority of
11663-592: Was officially opened on 8 May 1948 under the Ministry of Defence and managed by a War Office Council chaired by the Minister of Defence. At the head of War Office was Chief of Staff, Vice Chief of Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Adjutant General and Quartermaster General. Vice Chief of Staff, who was also Chief of Army Staff and the head of General Staff Office. VCS oversee General Staff matters and there were three branch offices: GS-1 Operation and Training, GS-2 Staff Duty and Planning; GS-3 Intelligence. Signal Corps and Field Engineering Corps are also under
11772-690: Was quite inadequate to deal with the expansion im- posed by a great war. The officers were drawn from the British service and the Indian Army with little hope of reinforcement in time of war except for the untrained resources of Burma. Before the outbreak of war with Japan and for some time afterwards Burma Army Headquarters was simultaneously a War Office, a G.H.Q,., a Corps H.Q. and an [Lines of Communication] Area H.Q. Matters of detail could have been worked out more quickly and efficiently by G.H.Q,. in India if
11881-698: Was the tension between Karen Officers, coming from the British Burma Army and Burmese officers, coming from the Patriotic Burmese Force ( PBF ). In accordance with the agreement reached at the Kandy Conference in September 1945, the Tatmadaw was reorganised by incorporating the British Burma Army and the Patriotic Burmese Force. The officer corps shared by ex-PBF officers and officers from
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