‘Operation 1027’: The End of the Beginning of Myanmar’s Spring Revolution, by Htet Min Lwin and Thiha Wint Aung – 24 November 2023

From The Diplomat

Coming nearly three years after the military coup d’état of February 1, 2021, “Operation 1027” marks a defining moment in Myanmar’s revolution. This operation is not merely a military offensive; it is also a symbol of the enduring spirit and resourcefulness of Myanmar’s peoples and their People’s Defense Forces (PDFs), their burgeoning alliances with the country’s long-established ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), and the unflagging public support for the struggle.

Resource Resilience and Public Support

The first remarkable fact about “Operation 1027” is that it represents an increase in offensives by the PDF and EAOs, contradicting any notions of fatigue within the revolution. Despite the prolonged nature of the struggle, public support has apparently grown, infusing the PDFs with the resources and morale necessary to continue their fight. This runs counter to narratives suggesting the operation was a result of external influences, particularly from China, which has been pressuring the military regime to deal with the cross-border gangs doing telecom frauds in eastern Myanmar. Such analyses ignore the intrinsic motivations and the deep-rooted resistance of Myanmar’s peoples, which are the real reasons for the revolution’s endurance.

Most observers have given credit to the Three Brotherhood Alliance (or Northern Alliance), which includes the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and the Arakan Army (AA) for bringing “new energy” to the revolution. While their involvement is certainly crucial, it should not be forgotten that newer groups such as Mandalay PDF, under the command of the National Unity Government (NUG), and the Bamar People’s Liberation Army (BPLA) have taken part in the offensive in northern Shan State. In fact, as a Burmese saying goes, the involvement of the Alliance is like “when the buffalo swims, the water flows.”

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Htet Min Lwin is a doctoral candidate at the York Centre for Asian Research at York University, Toronto, Canada.

Thiha Wint Aung is a political scientist who holds an MA in political science from Central European University (CEU) and an MPP from National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Japan.

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