Battle of Myawaddy reflects urban shift in Myanmar civil war

Myanmar’s 80-year civil war escalated after a 2021 coup that ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, numerous Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs), Border Guard Forces (BGFs) and People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) have joined the fighting on both sides. Now, with the pro-democracy coalition of ethnic groups controlling 70%-80% of the country’s territory – mostly jungles and villages – the focus of the conflict is shifting to the small towns and villages still held by government forces.

Myawaddy, located near the Thai border in Myanmar’s southeastern Kayin State (formerly Karen State), is an example of a relatively small town with a metropolitan population of around 57,000 that has become the focus of intense fighting due to its strategic location. As the main import and transit point for goods and supplies into Myanmar, with domestic manufacturing and transportation faltering, control of Myawaddy remains crucial. Positioned along major trade and smuggling routes, whoever controls Myawaddy gains access to key economic activities and supply chains, making it a highly valuable asset for the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) and other stakeholders. The battle for Myawaddy, like the war itself, involves a complex web of interests, including Chinese investment, pro-democracy ethnic armies, the Tatmadaw, transnational criminal syndicates, and warlords.

Among the pro-democracy EAO forces fighting in the area are the Karen National Union (KNU), Karenni National Liberation Army (KNLA), Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO), People’s Defense Forces (PDF), and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army. The Karen, one of Myanmar’s largest minority groups with a population of around seven million, have their own ethnic state, Kayin State. The presence of multiple EAOs among the Karen population highlights the conflicting interests within the same ethnic group, underscoring the challenges that must be overcome to unite the entire ethnic population – consisting of hundreds of linguistic and ethnic subgroups – against the Tatmadaw.

On the other side of the battle for Myawaddy is the national government, known as the State Administration Council (SAC), which controls the Tatmadaw, along with the Karen National Army (KNA). The interests of different ethnic groups are so divergent here that some ethnic armies fight alongside the government, while others maintain a ceasefire with government forces.