Myanmar

The military regime has acknowledged forcibly recruiting young men for conscription, amid growing pressure to fill army ranks; The practice has sparked fear among civilians, with reports of abductions as the junta expands mandatory military service

President Min Aung Hlaing announced plans to amend 43 provisions of the 2008 Constitution; Critics argue the amendments leave intact the military's constitutional powers and are unlikely to alter the armed forces' dominant role in politics

Peace talks with several smaller ethnic armed organizations have been promoted by Myanmar’s military government as evidence of ongoing national reconciliation; Critics argue the discussions exclude many of the country’s most powerful resistance groups

Government has regained full control of the strategic Mandalay–Myitkyina highway, a key route linking central Myanmar with Kachin State; The road is vital for military logistics, trade and access to northern border areas

One month after Min Aung Hlaing was been installed as president of Myanmar, consolidating his power after leading the 2021 military coup, critics say it formalized military rule, undermining democratic transition amid ongoing conflict and repression

MNDAA forces have seized the strategic town of Kutkai in northern Shan State from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army; The takeover highlights rivalry among ethnic armed organizations competing for influence within the anti-junta alliance groups

Russia will train Myanmar’s first cosmonaut under a new cooperation agreement that strengthens space ties between the two countries; The initiative forms part of their broader collaboration on satellite technology and space research

Revenue streams linked to Myanmar’s junta have been cut as China dismantled the scam-linked Fully Light Group by arresting its chairman Ming Xuechang, shutting down its operations and extraditing hundreds of suspects

Mid-March has been set by the junta as the target date for convening a new parliament; critics say the process lacks credibility and is designed to entrench military control following the 2021 takeover

The US extended sanctions against the military junta in Myanmar as well as financial and trade restrictions, citing the crisis following the 2021 coup still threatening regional stability, democracy and human rights

Union Solidarity and Development Party USDP with military-appointed seats secured enough seats to form a new government before the final phase of the junta-held elections concludes, amid widespread criticism of the process’s legitimacy

On 4 January Independence Day, Myanmar’s junta granted amnesty to thousands of prisoners but excluded most political detainees; Activists said the move was symbolic and failed to address the continued detention of opposition figures and protest leaders