Junta Adopts Brutal New Tactics as Myanmar Conflict Escalates

Drones

Myanmar’s military is intensifying its campaign to claw back territory, deploying mass infantry assaults, expanding its drone fleet and leaning on forced conscription as the country edges towards a widely condemned election later this month.

Rebel fighters describe a dramatic shift on the frontlines. In October, during a week‑long battle for Pazun Myaung in central Myanmar, troops defending against artillery and drone strikes were then hit by relentless “human‑wave” attacks — a tactic several fighters say they had never witnessed before.

One rebel, Khant, said soldiers were pushed forward to replace the fallen, some apparently under threat from their own commanders.

These accounts, echoed by multiple fighters and analysts, suggest a military attempting to recover after suffering major losses since the 2021 coup. A coordinated rebel offensive in 2023 seized swathes of borderland territory, but the junta has since regrouped, reshaping its strategy and tightening control.

A key pillar of that shift is conscription. Since early 2024, between 70,000 and 80,000 new recruits have been drafted, bolstering a force that had shrunk dramatically from pre‑coup levels. Analysts say more experienced officers have been moved into command roles after years of promotions based on loyalty rather than battlefield skill.

The military has also invested heavily in drones, now operating nearly 20 models sourced from China, Russia and Iran. These unmanned aircraft guide increasingly precise airstrikes, giving junta forces a significant advantage over resistance groups that lack jamming or air‑defence systems.

China’s influence forms the third major element of the junta’s resurgence. Beijing has brokered ceasefires, pressured armed groups to halt operations and restricted the flow of weapons to resistance forces. In some areas, such as Mogok, rebel activity has ground to a halt due to shortages of ammunition and funding linked to Chinese pressure.

Despite these gains, analysts caution that the battlefield remains fragmented. The junta has made progress in several states, but no single force controls the sprawling frontlines stretching from the Chinese border to the Bay of Bengal.

The timing is politically charged. A general election is set to begin on 28 December, though the UN and rights groups have dismissed it as neither free nor fair. Key opposition figures, including Aung San Suu Kyi, remain imprisoned, and many anti‑junta parties plan to boycott the vote.

With momentum shifting, observers expect the military to push harder in the months ahead. As one analyst put it, Myanmar is likely to see “more armed clashes and more attempts from the military to retake territories” — a grim forecast for a country already scarred by years of conflict.

-2025-12-18