Myanmar Military Intensifies Civilian Attacks as Regional Diplomacy Expands

Myanmar’s military has significantly increased attacks on civilians since a new administration assumed power, according to a report released Monday by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The findings come as neighboring countries step up diplomatic engagement with Myanmar’s leadership despite the country’s ongoing civil war.

ACLED said the escalation followed a military command restructuring in late March, when longtime junta leader Min Aung Hlaing prepared to transition from commander-in-chief to president after an election that excluded most opposition groups. Loyalist and former intelligence chief Ye Win Oo was appointed as the new military commander, overseeing a more aggressive campaign against resistance forces and civilians.

According to ACLED, the military has intensified its aerial bombardment strategy by deploying specialized formations of two to five fighter jets to carry out sustained strikes on single targets. The conflict monitor said these operations have led to worsening repression rather than any easing of violence.

Myanmar has remained in turmoil since the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, triggering a nationwide civil war that has reportedly killed around 100,000 people and displaced millions.

The report noted that military offensives have expanded into several border regions, including areas containing valuable rare earth resources and critical trade routes. ACLED warned that civilians are unlikely to see relief as the junta seeks to consolidate power under the country’s new political structure.

During the first half of 2026, ACLED documented more than a dozen mass killings that resulted in over 450 civilian deaths. Roughly 40% of those fatalities occurred in Myanmar’s central Anyar region. One reported incident in May involved hundreds of soldiers entering Myit Chay township near Bagan, where local residents alleged that at least 40 civilians were killed. Reuters was unable to independently verify those accounts, although the incident appears in ACLED’s database and was also reported by local media.

Meanwhile, Myanmar’s political transition has prompted renewed diplomatic outreach. Min Aung Hlaing has visited India and China and is expected to make an official trip to Thailand on August 6–7 as he seeks greater regional legitimacy. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which had previously barred Myanmar’s military leaders from its summits after the 2021 coup, has also begun tentative re-engagement with the country.