BY LUCAS MYERS
APRIL 8, 2021,
Existing conflicts with ethnic groups add fuel to the fire.
Protesters hold homemade weapons during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon's Tamwe township in Myanmar on April 3. STR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Since the Feb. 1 military coup, Myanmar has rapidly destabilized into widespread protests and indiscriminate violence. According to the monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, at least 614 protesters have been killed and 2,857 detained as of April 8. The Tatmadaw, as Myanmar’s military is called, appears unwilling to back down despite growing international pressure.