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The Irrawaddy, March 12, 2025
Until Donald Trump assumed power and moved into the White House in January, the United States a major supporter of Myanmar's pro-democracy movement. Now, the Trump administration has terminated all such support, and that has caused a major crisis among the media outlets which depended on support from the United States. The question is whether Trump will go a step further and begin "engaging" the State Administration Council?
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, February 24, 2025
What we are seeing today is not a "China-versus-the-West-scenario" in Myanmar, as some analysts have claimed. China is back with a vengeance to protect what has always been a strategically important corridor, and the stark reality is that the West plays virtually no role in Myanmar's internal conflicts
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, February 12, 2025
USAID suspension announces America's withdrawal from Myanmar, giving China free hand to manipulate nation's conflict to its advantage.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, January 25, 2025
China has once again shown that it is the only outside power with the means, capacity, and motivation to intervene in Myanmar's internal conflicts. In order to secure their own strategic interests in the country, they have managed to put an end to fighting in northern Shan State.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
GlobalAsia, September, 2024
Rumors and the musings of some analysts contend that Myanmar's ruling generals may be brought down by the multi-pronged insurgency in the country that erupted after the coup in 2021. That is unlikely to happen. In this situation, the only outside country with leverage on both sides of the divide is China, writes Bertil Lintner, and Beijing may hold the key to eventually breaking an agonizing deadlock.
[read the article at www.globalasia.org]
The Irrawaddy, September 9, 2024
The simplistic version of what is happening in northern Shan State is that a united front of Bamar and non-Bamar resistance armies has liberated huge swathes of territory. The Myanmar army is on the defensive after being forced to abandon numerous small as well as major outposts and is about to lose the war. A more down-to-earth look at the situation, however, reveals a much more complex picture.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, August 26, 2024
Is the Myanmar junta turning to the infamous Russian Wagner Group of state-sponsored mercenaries for help in its wars against a multitude of armed groups opposing its February 2021 seizure of power?
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, August 14, 2024
Unlike the Chinese, who have close dealings with the State Administration Council (SAC) while maintaining a certain distance from the generals so as not to further antagonize public opinion in Myanmar, the Russians have without hesitation thrown in their entire lot with the coupmakers in Naypyitaw.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, July 12, 2024
There is a fundamental difference between Western and Chinese peacemaking efforts in Myanmar.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, July 9, 2024
The breakdown of a China-initiated ceasefire in northern Shan State, and the advance of ethnic resistance armies in the same area, have highlighted two crucial issues for the future of Myanmar: the nature and aims of Chinese peacemaking, and what the re-establishment of a federal system akin to that which the country enjoyed prior to the 1962 military coup should look like.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, May 31, 2024
Myanmar's civil war not seen in same light as Ukraine or Gaza but rival superpower interests could yet determine conflict's direction and duration
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, April 1, 2024
The peace industrial complex is on a roll again. Finnish, Swiss, Norwegian and Australian organizations, among ohters, are quietly sniffing around Myanmar's ethnic armed organizations, looking to reactivate the idea of talks with the regime's military.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, March 14, 2024
While the rest of the country is in turmoil, the often divided Shan armies are staying in the background, not participating in the nationwide uprising against the junta that seized power in February 2021.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, December 04, 2023
Are recent events really going to lead to the downfall of the SAC and the government it appointed, putting the country on a course to the federal democracy that many see as the final goal of the resistance?
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, November 06, 2023
Is China finally turning its back on the ethnic armed groups across its border with Myanmar? And are they distancing themselves from their traditional benefactors in the Chinese security services?
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, October 03, 2023
Both Indonesia and Singapore are currently in the spotlight in connection with recent disclosures of questionable arms deals with Myanmar.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
GlobalAsia, September, 2023
The very concept of 'ASEAN centrality' is much beloved among its proponents: It speaks to the myth of the bloc's relevance. But the reality is starkly different, and with Laos set to take over as chair of ASEAN in 2024, this is only going to become more obvious.
[read the article at www.globalasia.org]
The Irrawaddy, August 29, 2023
Two-and-a-half years after Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's coup, the question is not what Myanmar's partners ASEAN can do about the attempted power grab, but whether the regional grouping can survive its present crisis.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, July 17, 2023
Former triad boss Wan Kuok Koi, alias Brokken Tooth, and his associates represent the new face of Chinese investment in Myanmar--and the criminalization of the country under the current junta.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, June 29, 2023
A united front of ethnic resistance armies and Burman resistance groups against the junta is widely reported on social media. But the bitter truth is that Myanmar has a long and troubled history of failed attempts to forge pan-ethnic resistance fronts--and the main, divisive issue has always been Burman-ethnic minority relations.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
GlobalAsia, June, 2023
So pervasive and persistent are suspicions among some about China's geopolitical activities that even obscure islands off the coast of Myanmar periodically become the target of speculation by analysts, think tanks and the media--especially in India, which has historically been wary of encroachment by China in the Indian Ocean. Bertil Lintner looks at the latest flap over the Coco Islands and what it means.
[read the article at www.globalasia.org]
The Irrawaddy, June 8, 2023
Bertil Lintner reviews Stalemate: Autonomy And Insurgency On The China-Myanmar Border by Andrew Ong
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, May 29, 2023
The possibility of a new, democratically-elected, non-military government in Thailand has raised hopes of a fresh and more sympathetic policy towards the forces in Myanmar fighting against the junta in Naypyitaw.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, May 8, 2023
A look at the factors which make the current uprising in Burma different from those in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
GoFundMe, May 6, 2023
A propsal to write a biography of Chao Tzang Yawnghwe, son of Burma's first president Sao Shwe Thaik, and a leading theoretician behind the Shan State Army (SSA). It presents the history of the Shan political movement and the quest for federalism. Chao Tzang's story provides an avenue to explore many facets of political movements in Shan State and Burma lacking in existing academic studies. After more than 70 years of civil war, the lack of a sustained pan-ethnic and democratic cooperation is the most important issue facing Burma and it needs a thorough analysis if a solution to the conflicts is to be found
[read the project details and contribute at www.gofundme.com]
The Irrawaddy, April 17, 2023
Every dictatorship believes it needs a secret police force in order to survive in power, and the more brutal, the more effective. Myanmar's generals have their military intelligence service, which over the years has changed its name but always remained a main pillar of state power.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, April 10, 2023
Misunderstandings of what was agreed upon when independent Burma held talks and signed border agreements with its neighbors have led to myths and conflicts that never seem to go away.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
GlobalAsia, March, 2023
Amid the West's ongoing sanctions against the Myanmar regime for thwarting the transition to democracy, China has re-emerged as a major geopolitical player in the country determined to ensure access to the Indian Ocean.
[read the article at www.globalasia.org]
The Irrawaddy, March 13, 2023
Burma's various nationalities need strong civil society organizations, not old belligerent rulers who oppress their own peopke and wage senseless wars.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, February 7, 2023
Born Austrian, but regarded as one of their own by the people of Hsipaw and elsewhere, Sao Nang Thu Sandi, princess of Hsipaw, has passed away in Colorado.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, January 30, 2023
Will Myanmar's vicious cycle of popular protests and violent repression continue through 2023, and can the military remain in power?
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, January 23, 2023
Myanmar's junta has deployed Russian arms to lethal effect in an escalating civil war but is highly vulnerable to a disruption of those supplies
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, January 18, 2023
It will not be an easy task for anyone in power in Naypyitaw to establish some semblance of authority over the virtually autonomous territoryi of Kokang with its close ties to China.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, January 09, 2023
Chinese surveillance equipment has blunted PDF urban warfare attacks and shows whose side Beijing is really on
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, January 5, 2023
Bertil Lintner reviews Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China's Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World by Joshua Kurlantzick
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, December 22, 2022
An initiative put forward by a group of Indonesian legal experts might have a profound impact on the fate of the junta that seized power in Naypyitaw in February last year.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, December 13, 2022
Hannah Arendt's phrase "the banality of evil" applies just as well today to the top generals in the Myanmar military as it did to Eichmann.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, July 26, 2022
The hanging of four democracy activists has caused outrage around the world, and clearly shows that it is a folly to believe that any kind of dialogue with the thugs in power in Naypyitaw is possible or desirable.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, July 19, 2022
If Myanmar's military dictator is to be believed, elections may be held sometime next year. But to get a better understanding of what the Senior General and his cohorts are up to, it is useful to examine Myanmar's electoral history since the 1962 military coup.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, June 30, 2022
Myanmar's generals may not be as easy to charm as Thailand's newly appointed special envoy and other Thai civil and military officials seem to believe.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, May 4, 2022
At a first glance, it seemed like a major achievement. But the DEA, eager to resume contacts with Myanmar's military authorities, has done the pro-democracy movement a huge disservice with its latest bust.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, May 4, 2022
Russia's war against Ukraine is bound to create a crisis for Myanmar's military and its arms procurement programs.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, April 19, 2022
New measure barring local possession of foreign currency threatens to alienate the few foreign investors left in the benighted nation
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
Asia Times, April 04, 2022
Coup-leader Min Aung Hlaing vows to 'annihilate' anti-military resistance forces, snuffing out any hopes for dialog
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
GlobalAsia, March, 2022
The tragedy of Myanmar's coup one year ago has led to a spiral of violence and resistance. Now it is difficult to see a way out of the current morass of violence, protest and dysfunction.
[read the article at www.globalasia.org]
The Irrawaddy, March 25, 2022
The 'special relationship' between Japan and Myanmar, when it comes to aid, investment and involvement in the peace process, has so far resulted in little more than making sure the military remains firmly in power.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, March 23, 2022
Pariah states have quietly restored military ties and are working to produce guided, ballistic and submarine launched missiles in Myanmar
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
Asia Times, March 22, 2022
Myanmar's war-waging generals are heavily reliant on Russian wares that will be increasingly difficult to import
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
Asia Times, February 24, 2022
Myanmar military's resort to bombing civilian populations as a counterinsurgency strategy is certain to backfire
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, February 22, 2022
The junta's brutal measures against media workers have failed to halt the flow of information to people in and outside the country, so now they have turned to a logical and experienced partner for censorship and surveillance assistance: China
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, February 7, 2022
A recent string of drug busts in Southeast Asia suggest that illicit narcotics in the region is booming. Has the UNODC has become part of the problem rather than the solution
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, February 1, 2022
One year since coup-maker generals seized power and the nation seems poised for years of conflict and suffering ahead
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
Asia Times, January 27, 2022
Myanmar top brass hopes big-ticket procurements will keep the beleaguered rank-and-file loyal, proud and satisfied
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, January 24, 2022
The new Cold War may not yet be as hot as the previous one sometimes was, but it is clear that the Americans are building a bulwark against China and that the construction of a new US Consulate General in Chiang Mai is part of that strategy.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, January 20, 2022
While heavy fighting has been raging in Myanmar's ethnic minority areas, Rakhine State in the west of the country has been largely peaceful. There, much to the miltary's chagrin, the political arm of the Arakan Army has used the peace to build up a separate administration in the state.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, January 18, 2022
Rebel commander says military junta could explode 'like a supernova' and claims AA's parallel administration is restoring stability to Rakhine
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
Asia Times, January 12, 2022
Myanmar coup maker is the latest military dictator to show signs of mental slippage while under political pressure
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
Asia Times, December 24, 2021
Myanmar's junta has tapped Chinese online surveillance expertise but runs the risk of exposing itself to data breaches and spying
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, December 22, 2021
The Burmese generals probably never expected the opposition to the coup to be so massive. But how much more damage will military rule inflict on Myanmar society? And will the next batch of foreign "specialists" who get involved with Myanmar be more enlightened than those in the past?
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, December 10, 2021
A little more than a month remains before India celebrates its Republic Day. Will the Myanmar coup leader be there, or won't he? And what price will India have to pay if he is not, or indeed if he is?
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, December 7, 2021
Bertil Lintner reviews Stories from an Ancient Land: Perspectives on Wa History and Culture, Berghahn, New York and Oxford, 2021
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, December 6, 2021
Tatmadaw risks irking New Delhi by allowing Indian ethnic fighters sanctuary in exchange for attacking anti-coup People's Defense Forces
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, December 1, 2021
Has Cambodia's autocratic ruler Hun Sen suddenly become an advocate for democratic rules and accountability? Or are there other reasons for his seemingly principled stand on the murderous Myanmar junta?
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, November 3, 2021
Coup and chaos have devastated the economy with GDP set to fall 18% and half the population plunged into poverty by 2022
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, October 27, 2021
The decision of ASEAN to block coup-maker and junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing from attending its ongoing summit has taken the world by surprise. But it may be much ado about nothing.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, October 18, 2021
The Tatmadaw finds itself fighting a new kind of conflict, with armed rebels in areas far away from the country's traditional trouble spots.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, October 18, 2021
Regional bloc has a bevy of good reasons to block junta representatives from attending this month's summit meeting
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, October 11, 2021
Looking back at the events which took place three decades ago, it is evident that we are now dealing with an entirely new situation with different dynamics internally, regionally and internationally.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, September 27, 2021
Myanmar military is waging war on civilian populations in a brutal campaign to seek and destroy new people's defense forces
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, September 18, 2021
The decision to defer the decision on who should be Myanmar's representative to the UN may seem like a partial victory for the country's pro-democracy movement. But it also almost amounts to a gag order on the current representative, U Kyaw Moe Tun.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, September 13, 2021
Whatever the future will be, forget about "dialogues" and futile attempts at urging the two sides in Myanmar's conflict to refrain from violence.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, September 7, 2021
The reality of the links between the drugs trade in Myanmar and the military are quite different to how they are often portrayed in the press and by the UNODC.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, August 23, 2021
In the end, geopolitical realities may prompt even the State Administration Council's most vocal foreign critics to grudgingly accept the new military government--in particular, the fear of Myanmar once again falling into the clutches of China.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, August 20, 2021
As the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military, appears to be consolidating its grip on power, at least in the capital Naypyitaw, the debate over whether sanctions or engagement would be the best way to influence the generals has once again begun.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, August 16, 2021
In London as well as New York, diplomats have reported threats from agents suspected to be acting for the junta
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, August 16, 2021
The abolition of the freedom of expression and press freedom is one of the clearest signs that Myanmar is seeing a return to the dark old days of pre-2011 junta rule.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, July 16, 2021
Myanmar's generals may be delusional if they believe that their moves to ban the National League for Democracy (NLD) will put an end to the pro-democracy, anti-military movement.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, July 12, 2021
Surge in infections is overwhelming nation's health facilities and will push an already moribund economy to its deathbed
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, July 12, 2021
Myanmar's most powerful ethnic army, the 20,000-30,000-strong United Wa State Army (UWSA), has remained conspicuously silent since the coup.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, July 6, 2021
Events in post-coup 2021 Myanmar are reminiscent of Orwell's dystopian novel 1984.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, July 5, 2021
Asia Times' correspondent Bertil Lintner explains why Russia has warmly embraced Myanmar's military coup makers
[read the article at www.asiatimes.com]
Asia Times, July 2, 2021
Myanmar's junta is deploying Russian arms to suppress anti-coup protest groups and more Moscow support is on the way
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, July 1, 2021
The relative openness that Myanmar enjoyed from 2011 until the coup this year is not the only casualty of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's power grab. The other is what remains of the credibility of ASEAN.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
The Irrawaddy, June 28, 2021
It comes as little surprise that ethnic rebellions in states like those inhabited by the Kachin and Karen have flared anew since the military seized absolute power in Myanmar on Feb. 1.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, June 28, 2021
A new brand of militant is throwing bombs, torching targets and killing junta officials in the name of restoring democracy
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, June 14, 2021
Bertil Lintner reviews Until the World Shatters: Truth, Lies and the Looting of Myanmar written by Daniel Coombs
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, June 12, 2021
China and US on opposed sides in Myanmar's escalating civil war while Japan, India and ASEAN struggle to strike a middle ground
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, May 28, 2021
Khaki commerce is not uncommon in Asia but it generally rests on marriages of convenience between the military and domestic plutocracies. In Myanmar it went beyond that as far back as the 1950s.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, May 24, 2021
Toppled democratic leader makes clear in a military court appearance that she and her party represent Myanmar's agitated people
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, May 19, 2021
Myanmar's peaceful protests are morphing into a hit-and-run resistance movement against military rule
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, May 11, 2021
A look at an alterative to traditional and so-called smart sanctions that may stand a better chance of working.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.com]
Asia Times, May 9, 2021
Myanmar's military is flying Chinese-made CH-3A drones to guide its lethal clampdown on pro-democracy demonstrators
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, May 1, 2021
Unclaimed attacks on military airbases signal a possible spread of civil war from remote frontier areas to urban centers
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times Southeast Asia Insider, May 1, 2021
Fighting along Myanmar's fractious borderlands has intensified following last week's extraordinary ASEAN summit in Jakarta, forcing many from their homes.
[read the article here]
Asia Times, April 28, 2021
Regional bloc's controversial summit with military leader could provide a template for UN agencies also to engage the killer junta
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, April 20, 2021
While the world gasps at the Myanmar military's brutal crackdown, there is little hope for a soldier-led mutiny or countercoup
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, April 05, 2021
The presence of Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin, dressed in his full colonel-general uniform, at the Armed Forces Day celebrations in Naypyitaw on March 27 has caused dismay in the country and raised eyebrows among many foreign observers.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
GlobalAsia, March, 2021
Myanmar's long history of military domination and brutal repression of popular dissent has always loomed as a potential obstacle on the country's path toward political change.
[read the article at www.globalasia.org]
Asia Times, March 27, 2021
Protest movement nominated for Nobel Peace Prize while military warns democracy demonstrators they could be shot in 'head or back'
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, March 25, 2021
Protest movement suspects China backs the coup regime but risk is rising anti-PRC sentiment wrongly morphs into anti-Chinese attacks
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, March 23, 2021
Myanmar may be the clearest--and most aggressive--example of Chinese interference in another country's "internal affairs".
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, March 15, 2021
What Myanmar least of all needs is some kind of patronizing white messiahs telling anyone in the country what to do and giving bad advice to outside actors. Change will eventually come to Myanmar, but it will come from within.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
Asia Times, March 14, 2021
Regime hires controversial PR outfit Dickens & Madson to sell its side of the story in US but past military lobbying efforts all fell flat
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, March 9, 2021
Brutal and even lethal force against the pro-democracy demonstrators may have reduced the number of people who are risking their lives by taking to the street, but there is nothing to indicate that protests against the re-introduction of a naked military dictatorship will cease any time soon.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
Asia Times, February 25, 2021
A dreaded branch of Myanmar's military intelligence agency has been detaining business leaders with NLD links
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 21, 2021
Myanmar's coup was clearly long in the making judging by the characters who have emerged at the regime's forefront
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 16, 2021
Coup makers deploy troops, tanks and thugs but it's not clear a new generation of pro-democracy protesters will be cowed
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 12, 2021
Youthful demonstrations have used social media and other tech to outmaneuver and expose old-fashioned coup makers
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 9, 2021
Coup regime bids to deflect rising international condemnation by suggesting it may allow Rohingya refugees to return home
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 4, 2021
China has already come to the defense of Myanmar's US-condemned coup-makers and will likely see its interests grow under new era of military rule
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 3, 2021
Military coup-makers will aim to emasculate the toppled NLD and change election rules before holding promised new polls
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 1, 2021
Military deposes Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD-led government and imposes one-year of emergency rule until new polls are held
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 30, 2021
Rumors are swirling Myanmar's military could stage a putsch to prevent Aung San Suu Kyi's newly elected government from taking office
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, December 13, 2020
An underreported and uncontained viral outbreak in Myanmar is seeping across the border into lightly infected Thailand
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, November 9, 2020
Another Suu Kyi landslide win will push the military to abandon obsolete parties and hitch its political interests to her NLD
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, November 1, 2020
Decades of overspending on the military neglected a health care system that is among the world’s most ill-prepared for Covid-19
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
GlobalAsia, September, 2020
Myanmar has been an unreliable paramour for those longing for genuine democracy and reform in this long-isolated Southeast Asian nation. As the country faces its next major election in November, the high hopes the West placed in erstwhile democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi lie in ruins. The shifting political landscape has cast uncertainty in all directions. The time may now have come to put hope in Myanmar’s evolving civil society, writes Bertil Lintner.
[read the article at www.globalasia.org]
Asia Times, September 11, 2020
Rumors of an underreported outbreak in Myanmar send health refugees fleeing across the border to Thailand
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 3, 2020
China’s interests will be better served by the Suu Kyi-led status quo than a return to military-dominated rule
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, August 26, 2020
Three years after Myanmar drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas into Bangladesh they are no closer to repatriation
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, July 07, 2020
History shows pandemics can lead to profound political change in Myanmar
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, May 25, 2020
Suu Kyi is now close to old adversary China while long-ruling military is skeptical of Beijing's intent ahead of pivotal polls
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, April 02, 2020
New military-steered Covid-19 task force has given cover to a wide-reaching clampdown in the name of national stability
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, March 23, 2020
Officials claim recent mysterious deaths are not Covid-19 related and that citizens are protected by nation's unique diet and lifestyle
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 27, 2020
Myanmar leader visit comes amid rising strategic cooperation against border insurgents
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 24, 2020
Arakan Army's highly mobile and lethal tactics have made a mockery of government's peace process
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 22, 2020
China looks to Irrawaddy River as alternative trade route as high-speed rail plan stalls on security concerns
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 05, 2020
Lethal coronavirus outbreak highlights unforeseen risk of greater connectivity with China
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 27, 2020
Four priority BRI projects in Myanmar promise to make China a balance-of-power tilting Indian Ocean force
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 24, 2020
Landmark initial ruling against Myanmar also raises doubts about UN impartiality and credibility
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 16, 2020
Chinese leader to make historic Jan 17-18 visit in bid to advance contested Belt and Road Initiative
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, December 29, 2019
2020 elections will show how much damage has been done to leader’s reputation as a democratic reformer
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, December 20, 2019
Myanmar nominal leader’s defense of Rohingya crackdown at ICJ boosts her re-election chances
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 30, 2019
Civil-military relations are deteriorating as opposed pro-democracy and military forces gear up for 2020 elections
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 18, 2019
China-backed ethnic army is under pressure to disarm but tells Asia Times ‘if we don’t have weapons, we have nothing’
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 06, 2019
Ethnic armed group has leveraged ties to China to avoid conflict and build a prosperous nationalist state
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, August 23, 2019
Failed repatriation try signals a permanent and increasingly destabilizing refugee population in Bangladesh
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, July 31, 2019
Chinese investment and tourism are rising fast in the country at a time the US and EU pull back in revulsion at new rights abuses
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, July 17, 2019
Ruling NLD’s bid to legally amend a military-drafted constitution aims to win votes at 2020 polls but likely won’t succeed
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, July 11, 2019
Squalid and bulging refugee camps in Bangladesh risk morphing into epicenters of extremism similar to those seen in Palestine in the Middle East
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, June 12, 2019
Myanmar’s recent rout of an ethnic Naga rebel camp on its territory aimed to please India but is really part of a wider strategy to counter China
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, June 1, 2019
Controversial Chinese firm has offered $1.5 billion to transform open fields opposite Myanmar’s colonial-era old capital into a modern new city
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, May 07, 2019
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo released after over 500 days behind bars but the outlook is still dark for the nation’s beleaguered media
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, April 17, 2019
UWSA leader Bao Youxiang tells Asia Times in an exclusive interview why the world’s arguably largest and best-equipped non-state army is reluctant to lay down its guns
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
GlobalAsia, March 27, 2019
Myanmar's moribund peace process, seen among disenfranchised ethnic Karen, is rooted in the military's stubborn adherence to past failed tactics
[read the article at www.globalasia.org]
Asia Times, March 19, 2019
Myanmar's moribund peace process, seen among disenfranchised ethnic Karen, is rooted in the military's stubborn adherence to past failed tactics
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, March 01, 2019
Shwe Kokko, a remote town along Myanmar's Moei River, is the latest odd and bold outpost of China's Belt and Road Initiative
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 21, 2019
A long stalled rail project to connect the two nations has been given new impetus under Aung San Suu Kyi's isolated government
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 10, 2019
Her ruling National League for Democracy's bid to amend a military-empowering constitution is more form than substance
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 31, 2019
Myanmar's parliament hopes China will accept repayment of its debts in rice, but payback will more likely come through deep-reaching economic concessions
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 29, 2019
Prominent lawyer Ko Ni was assassinated two years ago in an unpunished hit many suspect was related to his drive to amend or abolish the military's democracy-curbing constitution
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 16, 2019
Beijing is pressing to resume the controversial Myitsone dam and other stalled mega-projects in exchange for its diplomatic support of the again isolated nation
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, December 28, 2018
The Rohingya refugee crisis, accusations of genocide and leader Aung San Suu Kyi's fall from international grace all contributed to an annus horribilis
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, December 5, 2018
China's Wanbao Mining is pushing to expand its controversial Letpadaung copper mine, a project that pits the once revered, now embattled leader against her own people
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, October 31, 2018
While Western nations reimpose punitive sanctions against Myanmar's mass rights abuses, New Delhi has stayed fully engaged
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 24, 2018
Leader Aung San Suu Kyi is paving the way for Beijing to build a long-envisioned economic corridor in Myanmar which previous military regimes resisted
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 17, 2018
China-backed United Wa State Party is clamping down on Christian churches, priests and missionaries in a move likely aimed to ferret out suspected US CIA-backed plots and operatives
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 10, 2018
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's speculated presidential ambitions via 2020 elections have been torpedoed by the United Nations and Facebook
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 3, 2018
Yangon court gives seven-year terms to reporters, who said they were 'set up' with police documents while investigating massacres in Rakhine state, but local media don't expect they will have to serve that long
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, August 30, 2018
UN call to try military chief Min Aung Hlaing for 'genocide' is unlikely to reach any court and will only push the isolated nation even closer to China
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, August 18, 2018
New US sanctions target individual soldiers and units for gross military rights abuses but conspicuously overlook Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing's overarching role
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, July 20, 2018
Myanmar de facto leader's Panglong 21 initiative has been co-opted by the military, undermined by China and rejected by most ethnic armies
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, July 08, 2018
Myanmar has long denied despite contradictory evidence that it harbors ethnic insurgents who use its territory to launch attacks in northeastern India
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, July 04, 2018
US leader has left predecessor Obama's engagement policy to wilt on the vine, giving Beijing an opening to renew its trade and security agendas
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, June 28, 2018
The International Criminal Court may try to put Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on trial, he may run for president or he may just stay where he is
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, May 26, 2018
Aung San Suu Kyi's signature peace policy has been blown asunder by myriad forces, dashing hopes she could end over six decades of uninterrupted war
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, May 17, 2018
While China makes 'solemn' statements about Myanmar's intensifying ethnic conflicts, its influence and weapons are major contributing factors
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, April 17, 2018
Beijing has deployed a new and so far effective negotiating strategy to take advantage of a recent decline in Naypyitaw's relations with the West
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 8, 2018
Confidential UN report says Myanmar continues to take delivery of North Korean weapons in violation of UN sanctions and amid consistent official denials
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 24, 2018
Kachin leader N Ban La tells Asia Times that his army's ties with China have improved markedly since joining a Beijing-backed alliance of ethnic insurgents
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, December 27, 2017
While many expected democracy to bring peace and prosperity, elected governance has only deepened entrenched problems
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, November 28, 2017
Beijing has shrewdly harnessed the power of ethnic armed groups to pursue strategic stability rather than a fast and final peace deal
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, November 23, 2017
Seychelles, a small island nation of 100,000, is at the center of a contest for supremacy in the Indian Ocean
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, November 23, 2017
Paris controls more territory in the Indian Ocean than any other nation and is becoming more assertive further afield in the South China Sea
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, October 21, 2017
US and EU unlikely to impose new sanctions on Myanmar's abusive military practices in sight of China's use of the crisis to score diplomatic points
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, October 21, 2017
Myanmar's leader has been widely condemned for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis but the blame for abuses more squarely lies with the autonomous military
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
YaleGlobal, September 26, 2016
Myanmarr's brutal crackdown on marginalized Rohingya people may spur new extremism; condemnation alone won't end the refugee crisis
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
Asia Times, September 25, 2017
Awami League government views Rohingya groups as a national security risk due to long history of militant activity along its Myanmar border
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 22, 2017
A military plan to strike a new ethnic balance in Rakhine state's conflict-ridden northwest means a minority of the 420,000 refugees now languishing in Bangladesh will likely ever return home
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 20, 2017
While the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army claims to be fighting an ethno-nationalist struggle, its leaders and extremist group links point towards a wider regional agenda
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, August 23, 2017
There is a common misperception among outsiders that it was Western engagement with Myanmar's generals that led them to embark on a process of change after several decades of military-dominated rule.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
Asia Times, July 20, 2017
Despite official assurances to the contrary, security sources who spoke to Asia Times say Naypyitaw has maintained secretive strategic ties with Pyongyang
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, July 15, 2017
That is what the Tibetan God King told Asia Times contributor Bertil Lintner in a 1984 interview during ceremonies marking his then 25th year in exile
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
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Asia Times, June 17, 2017
Contributor Bertil Lintner knew intimately the ruling National League for Democracy's top legal advisor and his plan to enact a more democratic constitution
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, June 21, 2017
More than one year after the pro-democracy icon won a resounding popular mandate, Myanmar's top brass are still calling the political shots
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, June 16, 2017
Beijing's vision of the Southeast Asian nation as an outlet for its landlocked regions to the Indian Ocean long predates the One Belt One Road initiative
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, June 3, 2017
Beijing has asserted strong influence on the direction and terms of Aung San Suu Kyir''s drive to achieve reconciliation in the war-plagued nation
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, June 3, 2017
The military asserts there are 135 different races in the ethnically diverse nation, a spurious claim rooted in numerology that masks a divide-and-rule strategy
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, June 3, 2017
Despite cordial diplomatic and growing economic ties, Myanmar's defense doctrine is still geared to guard against a possible Chinese invasion
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Project 2049 Institute, May 9, 2017
A study of post-1949 relations between China and Burma
[read the article at www.project2049.net (PDF)]
Asia Times, May 22, 2017
When de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi opens the next round of her peace drive on May 24, the outcomes and upshots will be pivotal to her legacy
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, April 5, 2017
De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi's pursuit of a national ceasefire agreement has taken the same failed path as her hardline military predecessors
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, April 5, 2017
Recent intense fighting between Myanmar military forces and China-equipped Kokang rebels has eroded the two countries' once strong bilateral ties
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, April 5, 2017
Naypyidaw is buying more sophisticated weaponry from Moscow to gain an edge against ethnic insurgents and reduce its past reliance on China-made arms
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, March 9, 2017
Myanmar's war on drugs, tacitly endorsed by the UN, has failed to stem a scourge linked to the country's many unresolved ethnic armed conflicts
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 28, 2017
Myanmar's United Wa State Army, a militia long known for drug trafficking, has emerged as the core of resistance to the government's peace plan
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 28, 2017
China professes its support for Myanmar's peace drive while simultaneously shipping weaponry to anti-government forces in a multi-layered policy
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 28, 2017
Many in Myanmar expected miracles when Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government took office after decades of military misrule. The political reality has been more prosaic
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 31, 2017
The killing of prominent Muslim lawyer Ko Ni was more likely motivated by his charge for constitutional change than his religious faith
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 19, 2017
Myanmar's military has intensified aerial bombardments in an escalating ethnic conflict that belies government claims of pursuing peace.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 19, 2017
Aung San Suu Kyir's peace process has been undercut by escalated ethnic armed conflicts, military obstinance and a hardline negotiating stance.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, December 15, 2016
Ongoing violence in Arakan State has captured the attention of the outside world in a way that no other ethnic conflict in Burma has ever done.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
South China Morning Post, November 12, 2016
Voters danced in the streets when the NLD scored its landslide victory one year ago. Now all many can see is more of the same
[read the article at www.scmp.com]
South China Morning Post, October 23, 2016
As Bangkok cosies up to Beijing, Naypidaw is drawing away - giving the US an opportunity for a new strategic partnership in the region.
[read the article at www.scmp.com]
The Irrawaddy, October 11, 2016
The present peace opera in Burma is only a recipe for further disaster. Not until the fighting stops on all fronts can a meaningful peace process begin.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
South China Morning Post, September 17, 2016
Pats on the back about friendship and democracy cannot compete with geography, economic patronage and leverage over country's most powerful ethnic armed force.
[read the article at www.scmp.com]
South China Morning Post, August 19, 2016
As Myanmar's military distances itself from patronage of its giant neighbour, Beijing hopes democracy icon will repay its subtle courting by mending fences on her current China visit
[read the article at www.scmp.com]
The Irrawaddy, April 25, 2016
Burma's new government has declared that finding a solution to the country's decades-long civil war is one of its top priorities. But in order to achieve peace, it is also obvious that the new government must find a novel approach to this issue.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, January 11, 2016
Things on the ground are not as straightforward as the media would have you believe in Burma's peace process.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, December 1, 2015
Burma's generals got the Constitution they wanted, hence the NLD's victory is unlikely to affect the country's power structure with the military at its apex.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
YaleGlobal, November 12, 2015
Despite NLD's landslide victory in Myanmar, threat lingers from rebel groups and the military may not fade in the background.
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
The Irrawaddy, October 20, 2015
As election day approaches, it is worth remembering what happened the last time Burma had a free and fair poll, writes Bertil Lintner.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
YaleGlobal, August 18, 2015
The ouster of Shwe Mann suggests that Myanmar's military leaders are in control, setting strict limits on reforms
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
The Irrawaddy, July 13, 2015
Bertil Lintner looks at China's long-term strategic and geopolitical interests in Myanmar in the light of Aung San Suu Kyi's recent visit to China.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, June 30, 2015
It has been several weeks since Indian troops crossed the Burma border and attacked camps where ethnic rebels form India's volatile northeast have camps. ~despite some press coverage after the event, few clear details have emerged.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, June 11, 2015
While this Norwegian publication is mainly a travel book, its political forays demonstrate the kind of navet which prevails among Westerners trying to understand what has happened in Myanmar over the past few years.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, May 5, 2015
The euphoria knew no bounds in certain quarters when, on March 31, it was announced that a text had been drafted for a proposed ceasefire agreement between the government and some ethnic resistance armies.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, April 13, 2015
Once again, Myanmar has been rocked by student demonstrations and, once again, the authorities have reacted with force.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, March 9, 2015
Bertil Lintner looks at the story behind the sudden outbreak of hostilities in northern Shan State's remote Kokang region.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, December 8, 2014
Shan State is bound to remain a cockpit of anarchy where drugs, guns and money rule supreme.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, November 2014
On the Myanmar-India border, a history of insurgency and rivalry continues to resonate.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, November 2014
On the Myanmar-India border, a history of insurgency and rivalry continues to resonate.
[read the article (PDF)]
The Irrawaddy, October 14, 2014
A look at Myanmar's reaction to Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri's September proclamation to raise the flag of Jihad across South Asia, including Myanmar.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
Global Asia, Fall 2014
Myanmar expert Bertil Lintner, a longtime critic of the country's previous military junta, takes a look at the state of the country's democratic reforms and the geopolitics that are guiding US engagement.
[read the article (pdf)]
The Irrawaddy, September 2, 2014
Myanmar's "discipline-flourishing democracy" was announced in 2003. At the time, more cynical observers suggested that the term was nothing more than a euphemism for military rule behind a democratic facade. Bertil Lintner looks at how it turned out in practise.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, July 7, 2014
Having established cordial relations with Burma's government, Western nations are now contemplating whether they should also re-establish links with the country's military, known as the Tatmadaw.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, June 2, 2014
It seems very likely that the United Wa State Army (UWSA) will become the next target of the Myanmar government's efforts to bring the country under its control.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, May 2014
Is Myanmar's military laying the groundwork for peace, or setting the stage for an assault on its most formidable enemy?
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, May 2014
Is Myanmar's military laying the groundwork for peace, or setting the stage for an assault on its most formidable enemy?
[read the article (pdf)]
The Irrawaddy, March 31, 2014
The new Tatmawdaw that emerged after independence, and, especially, after the 1962 coup, is an entirely different entity from Aung San's army.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, April 2014
The new Tatmawdaw that emerged after independence, and, especially, after the 1962 coup, is an entirely different entity from Aung San's army.
[read the article (pdf)]
The Irrawaddy, March 8, 2014
There is a reason why peace talks between the government and Myanmar's ethnic resistance armies are not going anywhere: The two sides are fundamentally at odds over what they hope to achieve.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Irrawaddy, March 2014
There are many forms of federalism in the world, but only one really matches Myanmar's needs
[read the article (pdf)]
Politico Magazine, March/April 2014
Bertil Lintner examines the current state and recent history of the US-Burma relationship in a series about America's 25 Most Awkward Allies
[read the article at www.politico.com]
The Irrawaddy, February 12, 2014
Bertil Lintner recalls the life of Maung Thaw Ka, a brilliant mind--and a true Myanmar patriot
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
The Revealer, February 11, 2014
The Kachins continue to have faith in their ability to resist--and in the religion that more than a century ago gave them a new life.
[read the article at therevealer.org]
The Irrawaddy, February 2014
Remembering one of the heroes of Myanmar's democracy movement, who died a political prisoner--and a true patriot.
[read the article (pdf)]
Asia Times, November 22, 2013
Bertil Lintner reviews The Face of Resistance: Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's Fight for Freedom by Aung Zaw. Brave New Burma by Nic Dunlop.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 20, 2013
Bertil Lintner reviews Golden Parasol: A Daughter's Memoir of Burma by Wendy Law-Yone
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, October 8, 2013
One doesn't have to look far to discover that the North Koreans have arrived in Yangon. And for the foreseeable future, kimchi is not likely to be the only thing that North Korea exports to Myanmar.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
NK News, September 23, 2013
Evidence of continued relations persists despite U.S. push for ties with Naypyidaw.
[read the article at www.nknews.org]
NK News, September 24, 2013
Despite Rangoon bombing, the mutual needs of Burma and North Korea have linked the pariah states
[read the article at www.nknews.org]
NK News, September 25, 2013
No longer a junta, the Burmese military retains grand ambitions.
[read the article at www.nknews.org]
Asia Times, September 20, 2013
Bertil Lintner reviews two recent books analyzing the Burma's most powerful institution, the military.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 5, 2013
A recent press statement by the US highlights Washington's growing concern regarding the Myanmar-North Korea relationship.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Du, December 2012-January 2013
In the light of accelerated change in Burma, Bertil Lintner travelled to the country to report exclusively for Du, to find out which way things have changed.
He met with old veterans and young activists, encountering both hope and skepticism.
[read the article (pdf)]
Foreign Policy, July 9, 2013
Burma's "reform program" is only skin-deep and designed to preserve the military's grip on power, not undermine it.
[read the article at www.foreignpolicy.com]
Asia Times, June 25, 2013
A grand ceremony before UN representatives announcing a nationwide ceasefire with various ethnic resistance armies will not herald an end, or even the beginning of the end, of Myanmar's decades-long ethnic strife. And the quest for what the country's various ethnic groups yearningly refer to as a "genuine federal union" will be as elusive as ever.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, May 20, 2013
While the Obama administration commends Thein Sein for the progress his government has made on human rights and democracy, Washington's motivations for engaging his government are more firmly grounded in issues of regional security.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, May 2, 2013
Myanmar's drift away from a tight relationship with China towards closer links with the West is signaling the emergence of a new focal point of confrontation in Asia, one where the interests of Washington and Beijing are beginning to collide.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, March 19, 2013
Despite all the government's rhetoric and internationally-backed peace efforts, the situation in Myanmar's war-torn frontier areas remains depressingly the same and lasting peace as elusive as ever.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
YaleGlobal, March 18, 2013
Burmese government battles insurgents as China and the US scramble for influence
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
Asia Times, February 2, 2013
After heaping praise for the past year on Myanmar's supposed new democratic direction, the international community has grappled for a coherent and credible response to the military's recent ferocious offensive against the insurgent Kachin Independence Army.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Vii Photo, January 2013
Four journalists travel across Burma to investigate and document the country that was for decades isolated from the rest of the world but now appears to be on its way to democracy.
[read the article at www.viiphoto.com]
Asia Times, January 12, 2013
Recent weeks have seen some of the heaviest fighting in Myanmar's decades-long civil war with government forces launching determined attacks against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an ethnic guerrilla force in the far north of the country.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Democratic Voice of Burma, January, 2013
In July 19, 2012, the DVB turned twenty. This online book, compiled and edited by Bertil Lintner, tells the story.
[read the book at 20years.dvb.no]
Al Jazeera, January 10, 2013
Fierce military campaign against northern Kachin rebels highlights country's festering ethnic divisions.
[read the article at www.aljazeera.com]
Asia Times, December 18, 2012
The ongoing war in Kachin State is a grim reminder that when it comes to crucial issues of national security, Myanmar remains firmly under military rule.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Tehelka, November 24, 2012
Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to India is part of the new feel-good Myanmar story. But is 'democratic concern' the real reason driving the world's attention?
[read the article at tehelka.com]
YaleGlobal, November 5, 2012
Government tolerates freedom of expression, and the Burmese target Chinese investments
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
Asia Times, November 1, 2012
An atrocity committed 20 years ago by an armed opposition student group continues to haunt Myanmar.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, October 6, 2012
Bertil Lintner reviews Modern China-Myanmar Relations: Dilemmas of Mutual Dependence by David I Steinberg and Hongwei Fan.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Development Today, July 3, 2012
There can be no lasting peace in Burma without constitutional reform. Bertil Lintner comments on Aung San Suu Kyi's Oslo visit and the Norwegian peace initiative in Burma.
[read the article (pdf)]
The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, June, 2012
Can Suu Kyi take up the challenge, renew calls for a “Second Panglong”, and press for constitutional reform in areas other than the ethnic issues, embarking on a potentially disastrous confrontation with the military?
[read the article at japanfocus.org]
Asia Times, June 2, 2012
Myanmar's established history of failed ceasefires threatens to repeat itself with potentially disastrous consequences for new foreign-funded peace and reconciliation initiatives.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Australian, May 11, 2012
The struggle for democracy in Burma, as Suu Kyi said, is, at best, perhaps only approaching the end of the beginning.
[more]
Asia Times, March 8, 2012
Whatever the outcome of the present mass movement and the April 1 by-elections, Myanmar's ethnic quagmire will endure and the government's half-hearted calls for national reconciliation will remain unfulfilled.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 10, 2012
The Western world has heaped praise on Burma's moves towards "democratic reform" and "national reconciliation". But what has actually changed and what's behind the hype?
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Democratic Voice of Burma, February 2, 2012
Any statements made by Burmese officials regarding the military's cooperation with foreign partners should be taken with a large pinch of salt.
[read the article at dvb.no]
YaleGlobal, January 20, 2012
US puts new focus on Burma amid US-Chinese rivalry in Asia and the Pacific
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
Asia Times, January 18, 2012
On Myanmar's attempt to improve its international image and assuage its many critics at home and abroad.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Burma Center Prague, January 11, 2012
An expanded version of Bertil Lintner's letter to the Financial Times following their change in editorial policy regarding the usage of Burma/Myanmar.
[read the article at www.burma-center.org]
Asia Times, December 2, 2011
The final article in a four-part series on Myanmar's foreign relations.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, December 1, 2011
The third article in a four-part series on Myanmar's foreign relations.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Foreign Policy, November 30, 2011
Wondering why Hillary Clinton is in Myanmar right now? As Bertil Lintner explains, it's all about China.
[read the article at www.foreignpolicy.com]
Asia Times, November 30, 2011
The second article in a four-part series on Myanmar's foreign relations.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, November 29, 2011
The first article in a four-part series on Myanmar's foreign relations.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, October 19, 2011
Myanmar's recent change of course may have more to do with regime survival than a desire to switch from military rule to democratic governance.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Australian, October 17, 2011
If most Western pundits are to be believed, fundamental change is taking place in Burma. But the sad truth is that there is no process in motion that would lead to real democracy in the nation.
[read the article at www.theaustralian.com.au]
YaleGlobal, October 3, 2011
Shelving of gigantic Chinese hydroelectric dam could be a signal to the West
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
Asia Times, October 1, 2011
Bertil Lintner reviews Rangoon Journalist: Memoirs of Burma days 1940-1958 by J F Samaranayake
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, September 8, 2011
Bertil Lintner on Myanmar's defense industry.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Wall Street Journal, May 16, 2011
Burma's military junta is in the midst of a political transition to a new generation. But it may not be much different from the old one.
[read the article at online.wsj.com]
Asia Literary Review, Spring, 2011
The brutality of Burma's ruling generals is well known, but their guile and shrewdness in exercising power over the populace have often been underestimated. Almost half a century of resilience cannot simply be attributed to star alignments or providence of the number nine.
[read the article at www.asialiteraryreview.com]
Asia Times, March 4, 2011
The growing uncertainty among North Korea's trade partners in the middle east could explain why the country is now cementing ties with a client much closer to home: military-run Myanmar.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, March 2, 2011
Military-run Myanmar's growing weapons ambitions threaten to destabilize the region and make the Southeast Asian country a new global weapons proliferation hotspot.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, February 26, 2011
Myanmar's ruling generals are literally digging in, taking no chances of a substantial power shift after last November's general elections.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, January 25, 2011
If Karl Marx was right that history repeats itself first as tragedy and then as farce, Myanmar may have just entered the farcical phase of its long-running military rule.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Global Asia, December, 2010
Bertil Lintner takes part in the "Could Burma Finally Be Poised for Reform?" debate, concluding that the junta has a track record of crushing dissent, and will continue to do so, with no care for what the world thinks
[read the article at www.globalasia.org]
Asia Times, December 16, 2010
Is Myanmar truly trying to acquire a nuclear weapons capability and produce ballistic missiles with North Korean assistance, or is it all poppycock, as claimed in a recent report by an award-winning US investigative journalism outfit?
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The New York Times, November 14, 2010
Bertil Lintner on the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
[read the article at www.nytimes.com]
Wall Street Journal, October 24, 2010
Western countries are naive to think Burma's junta is taking steps toward a competitive democracy.
[more]
Asia Times, August 25, 2010
Myanmar's government has announced democratic elections will be held on November 7, but in reality the country's military rulers are seeking to consolidate a vision of empire that affords them a permanent grip on the country.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Democratic Voice of Burma, June 30, 2010
At long last, the UNODC has publicly acknowledged that Burma's drug problem cannot be separated from its decades-long ethnic conflicts.
[read the article at www.dvb.no]
Asia Times, June 30, 2010
Myanmar's military government issued pro-forma denials after al-Jazeera aired an investigative report alleging that Myanmar is attempting to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, June 5, 2010
Myanmar's ruling generals have started a secret program to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to deliver them in a high-stakes bid to deter perceived hostile foreign powers, according to a new report.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Look East magazine (India), March, 2010
With a general election to be held later this year, the Junta will try to neutralise as many of the border insurgencies as possible.
[read the article (pdf)]
The Wall Street Journal, November 04, 2009
Bertil Lintner on the Obama administration's new policy of engagement with authoritarian regimes, and how it appears in the context of Burma.
[read the article (pdf)]
Jane's Intelligence Review, September, 2009
The nature of military co-operation between North Korea and Myanmar has come under international scrutiny amid fears of nuclear proliferation activities. Bertil Lintner investigates the historical ties and extent of collaboration between the two pariah regimes.
[more]
The Wall Street Journal, July 2, 2009
Bertil Lintner on United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's mission to Burma.
[read the article (pdf)]
YaleGlobal, June 09, 2009
Bertil Lintner reveals how North Korea has been secretly helping Burma - another pariah regime - to build an extensive tunnel network as emergency shelter and for other unknown purposes.
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
YaleGlobal, December 3, 2008
Rich with uranium and desperate for control, the Burmese junta may find a nuclear option attractive.
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
YaleGlobal, May 21, 2008
Afraid that a foreign presence would embolden citizens to protest, the Burmese junta limits access to the disaster area.
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
Asia Times, February 9, 2008
Bertil Lintner reviews Promoting Human Rights in Burma by Morten B Pedersen.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, January 3, 2008
Bertil Lintner reviews Stamps of Burma: A Historical Record Through 1988, by Min Sun Min.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
Asia Times, December 4, 2007
With the opposition subdued and the authorities vigorously hunting down the organizers of the September demonstrations - and the international community held at bay with promises of more ineffectual talks mediated by United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari - Myanmar's ruling junta has put back on track its so-called "Seven-point Road Map" which it says will lead the country towards "national reconsolidation".
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, December 1, 2007
Two Japanese foundations active in Burma have a past linked to World War II far-right war criminals.
[more]
The Irrawaddy, December, 2007
Bertil Lintner reviews The United Wa State Party: Narco-Army or Ethnic Nationalist Party? by Tom Kramer.
[more]
Asia Times, November 17, 2007
If the United Nations special envoy to Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, is to be believed, the situation in the military run country has changed for the better in the past few weeks. But in reality manipulating the UN and sporadically giving false hopes to the international community buys the junta time while it moves to legitimize its hold on political power through a new charter.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, November 14, 2007
Given China's apparent reluctance to push for democratic change in Myanmar, could India, the country's other key regional ally, be persuaded to use its influence to facilitate political change?
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asian Analysis, November, 2007
Once again, the Burmese people have risen up against their military-led government - and once again have the authorities used lethal force to crush the protests, defying the demands of their own citizens and ignoring international condemnations. But is there dissent within the ranks?
[more]
Asia Times, November 8, 2007
There is a widespread perception that only China has the diplomatic leverage over Myanmar's generals to force them to the negotiating table to discuss the future of the country with the political opposition. But though China is playing several different games in Myanmar, following the West's desired policies of encouraging more democracy is not one of them.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, November 1, 2007
Bertil Lintner reviews Frontier Mosaic by Richard Humphries.
[more]
The Irrawaddy, November 1, 2007
It's time to consider how to bring the brutal Burmese generals to justice.
[more]
Asia Times, November 2, 2007
The latest US sanctions against Burma mean that life just got considerably harder for Myanmar's ruling generals.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
Asia Times, November 1, 2007
Khun Sa, 73, once known as the "Lord of the Golden Triangle", is dead. Throughout his career as one the world's most prominent drug traffickers, he simultaneously had some very solid contacts - and protectors - in his native Myanmar and beyond.
[read the article (PDF)]
Asia Times, October 23, 2007
Bertil Lintner asks whether the United Nations and its agencies are becoming part of the problem rather than the solution in Myanmar.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The World Today, Volume 63, Number 11, November, 2007
The harsh crackdown on demonstrators in Burma may have sealed the ultimate fate of the military junta that has been in charge for so long. But when it falls from power, who could take over, and what problems would they face in holding the country together?
[read the article at chathamhouse.org.uk]
The Irrawaddy, October, 2007
Bertil Lintner reviews Exploring Ethnic Diversity in Burma edited by Mikael Gravers.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, October, 2007
Bertil Lintner examines the bitter reality behind the latest popular uprising in Burma.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, October, 2007
Bertil Lintner reviews Burma and Japan Since 1940: From "Co-Prosperity" to Quiet Dialogue by Donald M. Seekins.
[more]
YaleGlobal, October 3, 2007
Bertil Linter examines international reaction to the Burmese junta's recent crackdown on pro-democratic protests in Burma, and what leverage the country's neighbours might have on the situation.
[read the article at yaleglobal.yale.edu]
The Sydney Morning Herald, September 29, 2007
Bertil Lintner doesn't hold out much hope for Burma's democracy movement in its fight against a brutal regime that is not overly concerned about international reaction.
[read the article at smh.com.au]
The Washington Post, September 30, 2007
Bertil Linter on the latest popular uprising in Burma and the generals who are trying to quash it.
[read the article at www.washingtonpost.com]
Global Asia, Fall, 2007
The fact that Burma's military remains in power almost 20 years after the violent uprising of 1988 reflects the failure of both ASEAN's softer approach and economic and political pressures from the West.
[read the article at globalasia.org]
Far Eastern Economic Review, June, 2007
Bertil Lintner reviews Justin Wintle's Perfect Hostage: A Life of Aung San Suu Kyi.
[more]
The Irrawaddy, June, 2007
On how Burma's regime tries to win legitimacy by invoking a facade of legality.
[more]
The Irrawaddy, May, 2007
Bertil Lintner reviews Burma and Japan Since 1940, by Donald M Seekins.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, April, 2007
Bertil Lintner reviews The River of Lost Footsteps: Histories of Burma by Thant Myint-U.
[more]
Asia Times, January 25, 2007
Myanmar's military government may have narrowly escaped United
Nations Security Council sanction, but it is facing an unprecedented
political challenge at home, not by the crippled opposition National
League for Democracy (NLD) but by an emerging network of dissidents who
refer to themselves as the 88 Generation Students' Group. Bertil Lintner reports.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, October, 2006
A little-known community, the Naga on the Burmese side of the Indian border, is one of the most isolated in the world
[more]
Asia Times, July 19, 2006
Under perceived threats from the US, Myanmar and North Korea are strengthening their strategic ties in a military-to-military exchange that includes weapons sales, technology transfer and underground tunneling expertise.
[read the article at www.atimes.com]
The Irrawaddy, July, 2006
Bertil Lintner reviews Burma at the Turn of the 21st Century, an academic study of Burma which though long on humorous anecdotes is short of real political analysis.
[more]
The World Today, Volume 62, Number 7, July 2006
Another period of hope for change in Burma has given way to soul searching about how to deal with the latest disappointment. But the optimism was always misplaced, the generals have far too much to lose from any real openness.
[read the article at www.chathamhouse.org]
The Irrawaddy, June, 2006
Birobidzhan, a remote republic within Russia, provides a lesson to Burma on how not to federate along ethnic lines
[more]
The Irrawaddy, February, 2006
Bertil Lintner reviews The Mitrokhin Archive: The KGB in Europe and the West.
[more]
The Irrawaddy, November, 2005
Bertil Lintner reviews Trouble in the Triangle: Opium and Conflict in Burma.
[more]
The Irrawaddy, August, 2005
Colonial powers beat the Japanese but lost their empires.
[more]
The Irrawaddy, April, 2005
Bertil Lintner reviews Edith Mirante's exciting but ugly account of her travels in Burma's border areas.
[more]
Jane's Defence Weekly, April 15, 2005
Criminal trials involving hundreds of military intelligence (MI) officers purged in October 2004 have begun in Myanmar, with stiff sentences handed down for followers of former prime minister and intelligence chief General Khin Nyunt. Bertil Lintner reports.
[more]
Irrawaddy, January, 2005
Bertil Lintner reviews Jon Latimer's account of the Burma Campaign.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, December, 2004
Bertil Lintner reviews two recent book on Burma.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, November 04, 2004
The world waits to see whether a top leadership change will affect democracy and reconciliation.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, January 29, 2004
Burma's ruling junta has long resisted reform. Mary Callahan's book explains that it will probably keep doing so, writes Bertil Lintner.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, November 20, 2003
Evidence of a blossoming military relationship between pariah regimes in Rangoon and Pyongyang is causing growing concern overseas.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, September 25, 2003
Carrots and sticks have failed to persuade the government to introduce democracy. That's unlikely to change soon. The military has grown used to its power and privileges, and it fears retribution for years of abuses if it hands over power to civilians.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, August 14, 2003
Asean is embarrassed by the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi. But Burma is unlikely to clean up its act.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, March 06, 2003
Bertil Lintner reviews the remarkable autobiography of Pascal Khoo Thwe, a Padaung who met a British Professor and travelled to England to study at Cambridge.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, January 16, 2003
Bertil Lintner reviews The War in Burma 1942-45: A Vital contribution to Victory in The Far East, by JulianThompson.
[more]
Himal South Asia Magazine, October 2002
For economic and strategic reasons, Burma is crucial to both China and India. China has first-mover advantage but India has now woken up to the threat in the east. Meanwhile, the junta is looking less cohesive than it did.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, June 06, 2002
Bertil Lintner reviews Andrew Marshall's book The Trouser People.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, May 16, 2002
The release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi after some 20 months of house arrest was welcomed around the world. But don't hold your breath for substantial political change any time soon.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, March 21, 2002
A crackdown on the family of dictator Ne Win is good news to many, but does little for democracy.
[more]
The Wall Street Journal, January 3, 2002
Though one of the world's poorest countries, Myanmar is embarking on a nuclear-research project with the help of Russian and, possibly, Pakistani scientists.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, Dec. 27, 2001
China needs Burma as an export outlet for its impoverished and landlocked southwest. But its rivals are suspicious of the warm ties with Rangoon.
[more]
IISS Strategic Comments, August 2001
It has been ten months since representatives of Myanmar's military regime - the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) - and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi held the first in a series of secret talks. Although contacts have continued, there has been no political breakthrough.
[more]
Asian Analysis, July 2001
In the first week of June, the United Nations special envoy to Burma made his second visit to Rangoon, but little remains of the cautious optimism that emerged from his first trip in January.
[more]
Taipei Times, November 5, 2000
Bertil Lintner reviews The 1998 Uprising in Burma, Dr Maung Maung's revisionist retelling of the tumultuous events of 1998 in Burma.
[more]
The Irrawaddy, August 2000
Bertil Lintner reviews The 1998 Uprising in Burma by Dr Maung Maung
[more]
The Irrawaddy, July 2000
Although the ultimate demise of the CPB was chiefly due to its own failure to pick the winners in the power struggle within the Chinese leadership, Ne Win’s visit to Phnom Penh in 1977 may also have played an important role in weakening the CPB and thus preventing it from taking over Burma.
[read the article at www.irrawaddy.org]
IISS Strategic Comments, July 2000
While Myanmar remains shunned by the West, the country's two giant neighbours, India and China, are jockeying for influence in Yangon.
[more]
Dateline Bangkok, Second Quarter 1997
Bertil Lintner visits the Wa people.
[more]
Far Eastern Economic Review, December 22, 1994
Chinese merchants are pushing south as trade with Burma flourishes. But the nations of Southeast Asia are watching uneasily as Beijing's military influence with its southern neighbour also expands.
[read the article (pdf)]
International Defense Review, November 1994
For more than five years, Myanmar (formerly Burma) has been a major recipient of Chinese weapons. Now , however, Myanmar is trying to diversify its sources of military hardware.
[more]
Caravan, May, 1994
How does it feel to be the most wanted man in the world? Caravan sends Bertil Lintner to talk to tycoon-druglord Khun Sa at his sub-tropical kingdom in Homong, Burma.
[read the article (pdf)]
Far Eastern Economic Review, July 16, 1992
A power struggle amongst dissident students at a remote rebel camp in noorthern Burma leads to murder.
[more]
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