Myanmar Country Overview

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is located on the western portion of the Southeast Asian mainland. It shares a small portion of border with Bangladesh in the west, with the remainder of their western/northwestern border shared with India. To their north/northeast lays China. Their eastern border is shared with a small portion of Laos and the larger portion shared with Thailand. To its south and southwest is the Indian Ocean and Myanmar’s coastline contains the Gulf of Martaban in the south and the Bay of Bengal in the north. Myanmar is considered the northernmost country of Southeast Asia.

The lands of Burma were originally occupied by Tibeto-Burman speaking migrants from the Yunnan province in present day China. Centuries of invasions, dynasties, and reformations led to three Anglo-Burmese wars in the 19th century whereby the United Kingdom annexed Burma from India. In 1937 the country became a separately administered colony. Burmese leadership pushed for self-rule and opposed participation in World War II,l leading to the Japanese invasion of Burma with pro-Burmese independence support. The Allied Forces recaptured Burma in 1944. The Burmese National Army and Arakan National Army, which fought with the Japanese early in the war, then fought against the Japanese in 1945. Independence from the United Kingdom was agreed in 1947 and achieved in 1948. 

Myanmar has been in crisis since its military coup in 2021. The nation had previously been under military rule from 1962 to 2011 and despite elections being held in 1991, the military ignored the landslide victory of the Opposition National League for Democracy. Free elections were then held in 2015 and a government installed prior to being overthrown in 2021. Human rights and freedom of speech have been significantly impacted by the coup, with Myanmar holding the third highest number of journalists as prisoners of any country. 

Myanmar geography is typified by beautiful hills and valleys. Myanmar’s mountainous terrain slopes from north to south. Broken into five geographic regions, Myanmar has northern mountains, western ranges, an eastern plateau, a central basin, and coastal plains. 

For further information on Myanmar, see the resources below:

Articles:

1. Myanmar Britannica
2. Myanmar Country Profile – DFAT 
3. Myanmar Country Profile – BBC
4. Myanmar Articles – The Guardian
5. Myanmar (Burma) – general facts and information – CIA World Factbook

Cove Articles:

1. Cove Clips | Professor Daniel Marston on the Learning Curve in Combat Burma | The Cove (army.gov.au)
2. Book Review: Myanmar's 'Rohingya' Conflict | The Cove (army.gov.au)

Videos:

1. Geography Now! MYANMAR (youtube.com) 

Culture/Demographics

The official language of Myanmar is Burmese. Other common languages include English, Chinese, and Hindi. English became the official language of Myanmar during the colonial period and was a compulsory study subject in school. It has since lost its importance but is still encouraged.

The vast majority of Myanmar’s population practices Theravada Buddhism, the oldest of the two forms of Buddhism. Other minor religions include Protestant Christianity, Muslim, Animist, and Hindu. 

There are at least 130 ethnic groups within Myanmar. This brings with it individual language dialects, cultures, histories, and self-interest. The dominant ethnic group – the Bamars – account for approximately two thirds of the nation’s population. There has long been tension and conflict between the ethnic majority and the numerous ethnic minorities.

For further information on Myanmar culture, see the resources below:

Articles:

1. Cultural Atlas – Myanmar (Burmese) Culture
2. Myanmar – Culture, Religion, Traditions | Britannica
3. Myanmar (Burmese) Culture – Core Concepts – Cultural Atlas (sbs.com.au)

Videos:

1. Local People & Culture in Burma 🇲🇲 (youtube.com)

National Psyche

One of the key components of Burmese culture and identity is the concept of ‘face’. Face is the reputation, dignity, and honour of oneself. By respecting and giving honour to someone else, you give them face. People can lose face by acting inappropriately, being contradicted, or being criticised.

Burmese people are considered to be patient, tolerant, agreeable, modest, selfless, and sensitive. The relaxed attitude of ‘let it be’ is common and is a part of the national identity and culture.

During colonisation, Burma was considered a land of great promise, with many Indian families migrating to Burma for better opportunities. By the outbreak of World War II, racial tensions were so high that many Indians fled Burma for fear of Burmese nationalist violence. Present-day Myanmar is a multi-ethnic country, with a legacy of being dismantled and rebuilt so many times that it creates an environment whereby unified nationalism can be difficult to garner.

For further information on Myanmar national psyche, see the resources below: 

Articles:

1. Myanmar, an unfinished nation - Nikkei Asia
2. Unmasking Myanmar | BPS

Public Diplomacy

Myanmar’s military junta has a poor public and international image due to the brutality they have used during their time in power. Very little, if any, nation building has occurred since the military seized power, and economically the country has retreated. The junta is focussed on building legitimacy rather than projecting public diplomacy across the region. 

For further information on Myanmar public diplomacy, see the resource below: 

Articles:

1. Myanmar’s Public Diplomacy Experience and Challenges: Can ASEAN Make a Difference? | Winning Hearts and Minds (worldscientific.com)

Media and Internet

Myanmar’s media is heavily regulated and controlled by the military junta. There is a state-run daily press called the Myanmar Alin and a state-run English publication, the New Light of Myanmar. There are two state-run television stations and a state-run radio station. There are very few news outlets which are a combination of state-run and privately owned websites. It is broadly accepted that news and media outlets must appease the military at all times in their reporting. As such, news reports are general in nature and attempt to inform the people of Myanmar with basic facts, without offending the military junta leadership. 

There are heavy restrictions on internet access, regular internet shutdowns, censorship, and surveillance on private internet use. This is seen as a violation of human rights of the people of Myanmar. Internet service providers have been forced to increase the price of data and sim cards through introducing new taxes which deny many people internet access due to being unaffordable. Shortly after the coup the military junta imposed an amendment to the Electronic Transactions Law which introduced online speech crimes and expanded law enforcement access to personal data. Further drafted laws would allow the imprisonment of those using Virtual Private Networks for up to three years. Although these have not yet been legislated or enacted.

For further information on Myanmar media and internet, see the resources below: 

Articles:

1. Myanmar media guide – BBC News
2. Myanmar – Media Landscapes
3. Myanmar: UN experts condemn military’s “digital dictatorship” | OHCHR
4. Myanmar: End Crackdown on Media, Communications | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)

International Forums

Myanmar relationships with neighbouring nations are generally strained due to the political instability and lack of external support for the military junta. Many nations that have shared diplomatic relationships with Myanmar in the past no longer associate themselves with the nation.