The regional bloc is confronting Myanmar with a mixture of immobilism and wishful thinking, while other actors intervene more effectively – to the regime’s benefit.
BY

  

The regional bloc is confronting Myanmar with a mixture of immobilism and wishful thinking, while other actors intervene more effectively – to the regime’s benefit.
Under a bridge in downtown Yangon, a few dozen young rappers gather for a late night jam session, leaping around the cracked pavement and rusty beams, flinging words into the air like shrapnel. One slaps a stencil against a pillar and spray paints it black, leaving the words “G-FAMILY” enshrined on the concrete.
Moe Pwint Oo shoots the grimy punchbag a steely glare before slamming her fist into it, striking a blow for equality as she practises Myanmar's homespun martial art of Lethwei — a sport that encourages head-butting and grants victory by knockout only.

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Stories in this issue
Myanmar enters 2021 with more friends than foes
The early delivery of vaccines is one of the many boons of the country’s geopolitics, but to really take advantage, Myanmar must bury the legacy of its isolationist past.
Will the Kayin BGF go quietly?
The Kayin State Border Guard Force has come under intense pressure from the Tatmadaw over its extensive, controversial business interests and there’s concern the ultimatum could trigger fresh hostilities in one of the country’s most war-torn areas.