BANGKOK, Thailand: Myanmar’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, faces significant territorial losses and strategic setbacks in northeastern Myanmar due to the combined offensive, Operation 1027, launched a year ago by three powerful ethnic militias—the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Arakan Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army.
This alliance, known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance, initiated their offensive on October 27, 2022, seizing key areas along Myanmar’s northern border with China.
This has resulted in the Tatmadaw losing control over numerous strategic locations, including parts of Rakhine, Shan, and Kayah states.
Militias have gained territory faster than expected, pushing the Tatmadaw back to Myanmar’s central regions.
In response, the military has increased air and artillery attacks, leading to a reported 95% rise in civilian casualties from airstrikes.
The situation has also displaced over three million civilians and strained humanitarian resources, with the UN’s aid appeal only one-third funded.
China, with economic and security interests in Myanmar, is attempting to manage the conflict by urging both sides toward stability, particularly in areas close to its border.
Despite mounting pressures and civilian suffering, resistance groups have consolidated power and now challenge military strongholds closer to central Myanmar, showcasing resilience amid the Tatmadaw’s stretched resources and shifting strategies.
