Some of those tactics were once used against the Rohingya population in Rakhine State. “It’s about burning villages, bombing villages and forcing the civilian population out of villages,” Mr. The military’s strategy is to punish the civilian population for any perceived support of the opposition, said Anthony Davis, an analyst for the Janes group of military publications and an expert on the Myanmar military. Visuals analyzed by The Times and witness accounts reveal what that escalation looks like on the ground - and how attacks against civilians play an essential role in the military’s strategy. As they have gained ground, the military has resorted to increasing air attacks - many of which hit civilians.ĭata shows that there were nearly twice as many military airstrikes reported in April, May and June as in the first three months of the year. The opposition and its allied forces now effectively control large swaths of the country. When demonstrators were met with a violent crackdown, the opposition’s National Unity Government, led by ousted politicians and activists, established an armed resistance force. Then in 2021, the military staged a coup after an election, and protesters soon filled the streets. Its ethnic-cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims in 2017 set off one of the largest refugee crises in history, prompting an international outcry. The country’s military holds unusual power, ruling for decades and often using force to squelch opposition. Myanmar has experienced nearly continuous conflict since its independence in 1948. But behind the veil of secrecy, the military is carrying out a devastating and indiscriminate campaign of violence.Įven for a country long notorious for military abuses, the violence and humanitarian crisis now are unprecedented, many experts say. Internet shutdowns and digital surveillance prevent much information from trickling beyond Myanmar’s borders.
The evidence shows that brutality against civilians is escalating. The New York Times verified videos and photographs, analyzed data and satellite imagery and interviewed residents.
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