Myanmar’s Ethnic Insurgents: UWSA, KNU and KIO

Since the elections of 2010, Myanmar’s political landscape has changed significantly; the old military junta has officially been dissolved and a new civilian government, led by President Thein Sein, has been inaugurated. Together with the new constitution of 2008 and the government’s demand that all ethnic armies must integrate into the Border Guard Force (BGF), this situation raises a very important question; what will happen to the ongoing ethnic struggles in Myanmar? While the future is never certain, this paper will seek to predict the short-term future by focusing on Myanmar’s three main ethnic resistance groups: the Untied Wa State Army, the Kachin Independence Organization and the Karen National Union. Based on these predictions, the paper will then provide a set of policy recommendations to the central government, the ethnic groups and the international community. [ISDP Policy Brief]. URL:[http://www.isdp.eu/images/stories/isdp-main-pdf/2012_ohara_myanmar-ethinic-insurgents.pdf].