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OPINION FEBRUARY 21, 2025 | The Indian Eye 10

2021 Military Coup in

Myanmar and Its Impact along the

India-Myanmar Border Region

The military coup in Myanmar in 2021 and the current internal crisis have raised concerns about smuggling
and infiltration of armed groups along the 1,643 km Indo-Myanmar border. This directly impacts Northeast
India, resulting in India revisiting its policy on managing the shared Indo-Myanmar border

LEIVON VICTOR LAMKANG

he military coup of 1 February
2021 in Myanmar that ousted
Tthe elected government result-
ed in public resistance against the
State Administration Council (SAC),
as the junta calls itself, initially in the
form of public protest and civil dis-
obedience.

However, this resistance meta-
morphosed into armed resis-
tance. The disposed elected
government regrouped as the

National Unity Group (NUG)
with the People Defense Force
(PDF) as their armed wing. The
PDF gained support from the

Ethnic Armed Organizations
(EAOs).

This armed resistance has re-
sulted in internal instability and a
fragile security landscape, a concern
for India, especially along the shared This resistance has resulted in the military junta losing control in the northwest region, especially along the Indian border, to EAOs such as the
1,643 km Indo-Myanmar border in Arakan Army (AA), Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and others (File photo)
Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and
Arunachal Pradesh. Some of the
notable concerns have been the rise 1987 anti-government riots, followed this poll, General Than Shwe was was not “free and fair” and “not in
of illegal immigrants, drug traffick- by the student protest in 1988. This elected, signaling a shift towards a compliance” with the constitution-
ing and arms trafficking, which can disturbance led General Ne Win to semi-democratic system. Then, in the al law. This coup initially triggered
potentially undermine the security resign from the office. This was Fol- election of 2015, the National League widespread protests and civil re-
landscape in Northeast India. lowed by the “State Law and Order for Democracy (NLD), led by Daw sistance through the establishment
A Prelude to the Coup and Restoration Council” headed by Aung San Suu Kyi, won by securing of a parallel government called the
Thereafter military officers serving the admin- 80% of the popular votes, with Htin National Unity Government (NUG)
istration until a barring brief exper- Kyaw becoming the President of the with its armed wing, the People De-
fter its independence from iment with electoral democracy in country. fense Force (PDF), with the support
British colonial rule in 1948, 1990 which was countermanded and In the 2020 polls, the NLD won of the Ethnic Armed Organization
AMyanmar was a fragile repre- a coup was staged. It was not till the again. Though official results were (EAO), engaging the SAC in armed
sentative democracy until the coup of Constitution of 2008, which set in not declared, a military junta led by resistance.
1962 by General Ne Win, who ruled motion for democratic reform. Fol- General Min Aung Hlaing staged a This resistance has resulted in
the state until the eruption of the lowed by the elections in 2010 — in coup in 2021, claiming that the poll Continued on next page... >>

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