Myanmar's military regime has nothing left to offer

How much damage will it be allowed to inflict on the country and region?

Philipp Annawitt

July 16, 2021 17:00 JST

Smoke rises from smoldering houses in Kinma village, central Myanmar's Pauk township, on June 16: the Tatmadaw is burning the last shreds of legitimacy. © AP

Philipp Annawitt served as an adviser to Myanmar's parliaments and government from 2015 to 2021.

Days after Myanmar's generals seized power in February, the new government promised to schedule fresh elections within a year -- once the "problems" with the electoral system had been fixed -- then hand over power to whoever wins and retire to their barracks.