BANGKOK ¨C Conflicts within and between countries take many forms, but they are always about power.
That is as true for the brutal that toppled Myanmar¡¯s elected government two years ago as it is for Russia¡¯s war against Ukraine. But while Ukraine¡¯s plight has dominated world headlines and attracted billions of dollars in military equipment and other assistance, Myanmar¡¯s subjugation from within has gone largely unnoticed by outsiders and the civilian opposition has received little support.
To be sure, Southeast Asia is a coup-prone region. Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines all endured ¡°coup eras¡± before settling on roughly democratic trajectories, albeit with autocratic characteristics. Thailand has endured two putsches since 2006 and has yet to achieve a political bargain that can break the military and monarchy¡¯s joint .
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.