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issue:62, 20 Dec 2021
Human Rights Violations

The Death Toll

After the military staged a coup d’état on February 1, 2021, violent crackdowns and injuries inflicted by the State Administration Council (SAC) have resulted in a total civilian death toll of at least 1,293 as of November 25. An independent organization, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), collected personal data of 1,224 people as of November 25, although there may be many more who are not yet on this list. At the same time, SAC released their version of the death toll. According to their reported data, there were 1,564 deaths from February 1 to November 16, 2021. SAC reported that among them: 406 were accused of being military informants and killed; 253 were members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) or their family member; 228 deaths were caused by other reasons; 198 were general administration department staff from the township and village levels; 192 deaths were caused by crackdowns during protests; 93 were SAC police; 69 deaths were caused by bombings; 38 were civil servants; and 12 were monks. Please note that this data is from a statement by the SAC but not verified by independent organizations. According to reports by the National Unity Government (NUG), clashes and conflicts between June 1, 2021 and November 6, 2021, resulted in 908 civilian deaths and 2,941 deaths of regime forces. Please note that this data has also not been verified by independent organizations.
issue:51, 29 Sep 2021
Conflict, Peace & Security

Protracted Civil Wars: Three Key Factors

International researchers generally agree that civil wars and, sectarian conflicts within a country, are less likely to be resolved when compared to wars and conflicts between separate nation states (Mason & Fett, 1996). The root causes of civil wars are also generally different from the reasons two nations might go to war with each other.. Researcher Elshelmani (2015) has identified three key factors that can prolong a civil war—1) limited capacity for compromise between different sides/factions, 2) fragmentation and internal rivalry within one side/faction (e.g. rivalry between hardliners and moderates within each party involved in the conflict), and 3) the presence of interests dependent on the continuation of violence.
issue:49, 22 Sep 2021
China Studies

Foreign Trade including Myanmar-China Trade since Coup

Along with the political turmoil in Myanmar following the coup, massive public campaigns against the military have erupted. The SAC’s response to the political turmoil has resulted in closed businesses, strained banking systems, and a reduced amount of cash in circulation. Economic sanctions imposed by the international community have also severely damaged the credibility and reputation of Myanmar as a trade partner, resulting in a collapse of foreign trade and foreign direct investment on all fronts. Myanmar’s foreign trade value plunged more than half to US$ 1.7 billion for the month of February 2021, immediately following the coup, compared with more than US$ 3.6 billion in January 2021, according to statistics released by the SAC. Total two-way trade value across border posts has significantly declined since the coup.
issue:47, 10 Sep 2021
Conflict, Peace & Security

Battles, Civilian Deaths, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

Various forms of mass protest against injustice have occurred across Myanmar since the military staged a coup d’état on February 1, 2021. Protests are still ongoing in a variety of different forms. In addition, armed conflicts are occurring between the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and State Administration Council (SAC) forces in ethnic regions where those EAOs are based. Simultaneously, fighting between the People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and SAC forces also erupted in some areas. When the National Unity Government (NUG) declared a state of emergency on September 7, urging the whole country to launch defensive armed resistance, more armed resistance activities emerged and there was an increase in clashes across the country.  
issue:46, 9 Sep 2021
Human Rights Violations

Detention and Imprisonment After the Military Coup

After the military staged a coup d’état on February 1, 2021, more than 7,800 people were arrested nationwide as of September 4, 2021. Among these, 6,230 remain in custody. Students and civilians who took part in the mass movement against the State Administration Council (SAC) were the majority of those arrested. Staff who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and supporters of CDM, artists, celebrities, media personnel as well as doctors, nurses, and medical personnel were also detained. As of now, 47 doctors have been detained, and the SAC is also arresting volunteer doctors who have been providing medical care during the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Section 505A of the Penal Code is widely used to bring charges against the detained and those who have warrants issued against them. Compared to the figures detailed in the previous What Matters No. 41 on August 25, 2021, the number of detainees increased by more than 436 people. 
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