The Myanmar puzzle

India must rethink its traditional position

As the war between Israel and Hamas in West Asia dominates global attention, a forgotten civil war raging in the southeast of the continent is shaping up as a test for China, the United States (US), and India. In Myanmar a military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy has escalated into a war against the country’s long-running insurgencies. The Tatmadaw, or military, is a powerful institution with entrenched economic interests and, till recently, robust support from China, which sees Myanmar as an integral component of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Recent developments have altered the