Historical Introduction to Myanmar and Its Civil War

Abstract

In our Western latitudes, when we think about armed conflicts, genocides, or ethnic cleansings, our attention often turns to those wars that are highly mediated, such as the cases of Ukraine or Gaza. It is not that these wars lack importance they indeed have significant weight in global geopolitics but the coverage they receive often overshadows other conflicts and the struggles of other peoples who also deserve to be made visible. In this case, we will focus on Myanmar, a country that since 1948 has endured a violent civil war that, in many respects, has become a way of life. In fact, it is currently the longest-running civil war in the world. In this article, we will not only delve into the history since 1948 but will also go back many centuries to understand how the first civilizations in Myanmar emerged and their context, in order to provide a more complete view of the history of this country.