MYANMAR/BURMA

In 2025, Myanmar remains engulfed in a widespread civil war, marking one of the gravest crises in its contemporary history. Since the military coup of February 1st 2021, which overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government, the country has been fragmented between the military junta, ethnic armed groups, and pro-democracy forces united under the banner of the National Unity Government (NUG).

The year 2024 was marked by an intensification of offensives against the junta. Regional coalitions of rebel groups — particularly in the Rakhine, Kachin, Chin, and Shan States — launched coordinated military campaigns. In several areas, the regular army suffered major setbacks, losing control of entire towns, border posts, and strategic supply routes.

These resistance gains have provoked a brutal escalation in repression. The military has resorted to widespread aerial bombardments of civilian areas, extrajudicial executions, and the use of medical and educational infrastructure as military bases. The United Nations estimates that around 2.5 million people have been internally displaced since 2021, with humanitarian needs at critical levels.
Ethnic tensions persist alongside the political conflict. The Rohingya — a stateless Muslim population living in the west of the country — continue to face persecution. Refugee camps along the Bangladeshi border were attacked in 2024, and many Rohingyas are victims of human trafficking, arms smuggling, or forced recruitment by armed groups.

The security risk remains extremely high throughout the country. Border areas — particularly those with China, Thailand, India, and Bangladesh — serve as supply routes and transit zones for guerrilla fighters, making any foreign presence particularly dangerous.
In 2024, the junta reinstated compulsory military service, including for young women, leading to an increased exodus of young Burmese citizens either to neighbouring countries or into rebel militias. In urban areas controlled by the junta, social control has intensified: curfews, arbitrary arrests, internet blackouts, and digital surveillance are common.

Despite the partial reinstatement of tourist visas, travel is strongly discouraged. The risk of arrest, abduction, or exposure to armed conflict is extremely high. Even in major cities such as Yangon and Mandalay, targeted bombings and shootings occur sporadically.
Myanmar has also become a major hub for drug production (methamphetamines and opium), with entire regions under the control of cartels and criminal groups. This activity fuels corruption and further increases the risks for both civilians and foreigners.

For NGOs, the risks of violence are very real. Dangers stem not only from social unrest but also from the broader conflict. In 2023, two members of the NGO Save the Children went missing after a military attack in Kayah State, eastern Myanmar, which left thirty-five people dead. The junta appears to deliberately target NGOs: on 1st February 2023, the same organisation’s premises were destroyed by an air strike. The sensitive issue of the Rohingya also places NGOs at risk, as those providing assistance to this population may be directly targeted.