In March 2021, the U.S. Institute of Peace organized the Myanmar Study Group in response to the evolving crisis in Myanmar following the military coup a month prior. To support U.S. policy towards Myanmar, USIP convened a group of 9 prominent experts for a series of discussions about the dynamic context within the country and U.S. government policy options. The study group commissioned research and held consultations with external experts and affected communities to inform its discussions, which focused on topics such as the Burmese army, Myanmar’s economy, ethnic armed organizations, end state scenarios, humanitarian assistance, international actors and U.S. government policy alternatives — among many others.

On February 1, 2021, Myanmar’s military leadership organized a coup to remove the democratically elected civilian government — detaining civilian government leaders and reversing the previous decade’s progress on democratic governance, economic development, social welfare, civil rights and fundamental freedoms.

Immediately after the coup, communities across the country responded with nonviolent protests — and a nationwide movement of civil disobedience emerged. But in the face of the military’s violent crackdown on peaceful protests, the anti-coup movement also began to employ violence through open armed conflict and asymmetric warfare. Today’s crisis in Myanmar poses a major challenge to U.S. foreign policy in a region of geopolitical significance. The Myanmar Study Group report provides an assessment of the conflict and lays out recommendations for the U.S. response.

Myanmar Study Group Final Report

Featured Resources

Zoom discussion panelsts

Panel Discussion

The Shocking Rise in Coups - Myanmar, a USIP event examining the dynamics driving four of the seven coups and coup attempts that we’ve seen over the past two years.

Related Publications

Priscilla Clapp on the Anniversary of Myanmar’s Coup

Priscilla Clapp on the Anniversary of Myanmar’s Coup

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

A year after the military coup, Myanmar’s diverse opposition is working together on an alternative to military rule. USIP’s Priscilla Clapp says while “it will take years to bring a consensus about for this new government, it’s a very good start … we have hope that there can be unity there if they work on it.”

Type: Podcast

Conflict Analysis & PreventionDemocracy & Governance

Myanmar Study Group: Final Report

Myanmar Study Group: Final Report

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

In March 2021, the Myanmar Study Group was organized by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in response to the evolving conflict in Myanmar following the military coup of February 1, 2021. To support U.S. policy toward Myanmar, the Institute convened a study group of nine prominent experts on Myanmar and Asian affairs from April through September 2021. The study group held five discussions on topics of critical relevance to the crisis in Myanmar, supplemented by consultations with key stakeholders in the country and the region. Although convened by USIP, the views and recommendations contained in the report are solely those of the Myanmar Study Group, not USIP.

Type: Report

Conflict Analysis & PreventionDemocracy & Governance

View All

Latest Publications

What an ICC Case on Mali Means for Prosecuting Taliban Gender Crimes

What an ICC Case on Mali Means for Prosecuting Taliban Gender Crimes

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, the situation for Afghan women and girls has dramatically deteriorated. Yet there has been little international action, as many in the international community lament the lack of legal, and other, avenues to hold the Taliban accountable for these draconian measures. However, a recent case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) may provide a legal roadmap to prosecute the Taliban.

Type: Analysis

GenderHuman RightsJustice, Security & Rule of Law

Marco de Construcción de Paz Centrado en la Juventud

Marco de Construcción de Paz Centrado en la Juventud

Friday, May 3, 2024

El Marco de Construcción de Paz Centrado en la Juventud es una guía funcional que propone un enfoque factible para centrar a la juventud en intervenciones de construcción de paz. La guía pone en práctica el concepto de la participación de jóvenes, partiendo de principios básicos y pasando a guías prácticas y medidas de acción específicas para lograr una participación juvenil significativa en diferentes etapas de un proyecto de construcción de paz.

Type: Tools for Peacebuilding

Education & TrainingYouth

How Northeast Asian Geopolitics Impact Peace on the Korean Peninsula

How Northeast Asian Geopolitics Impact Peace on the Korean Peninsula

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Amid today’s renewed great power competition, the Korean Peninsula has entered a new Cold War winter without having enjoyed the spring of the previous post-Cold War era. During the post-Cold War period, the South Korean and U.S. governments anticipated that the seismic changes occurring in Europe would be replicated on the Korean Peninsula. However, over the past 30 years, none of their main policy goals regarding North Korea — such as reform and opening, denuclearization, peace settlement and unification — were fulfilled due to several factors in Northeast Asian geopolitics that favored the status quo. The enduring nature of these factors means the United States and South Korea should adjust their North Korea strategy and goals to enhance peace and security on the Korean Peninsula more effectively.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

Gordon Peake on the Pope in Southeast Asia and the Pacific

Gordon Peake on the Pope in Southeast Asia and the Pacific

Monday, September 16, 2024

During his 10-day trip to the region, the pope used “straight, plain-spoken language” while discussing pressing issues — such as climate change in Indonesia and violence against women in Papua New Guinea — in the hopes of spurring change, said USIP’s Gordon Peake: “No pun intended, he has a bit of a bully pulpit in these matters.”

Type: Podcast

¿Qué papel pueden desempeñar los movimientos sociales noviolentos en procesos de paz?

¿Qué papel pueden desempeñar los movimientos sociales noviolentos en procesos de paz?

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Cuando comenzaron las negociaciones entre el gobierno colombiano y el grupo armado de las FARC en 2013, apenas había una mujer entre los 20 negociadores. Dos años más tarde, el 20% de los negociadores del gobierno y el 43% de los negociadores de las FARC eran mujeres. Su participación amplió la agenda de las negociaciones que desembocaron en el histórico acuerdo de paz de 2016, que incluía importantes provisiones en materia de género. La participación de las mujeres en el proceso de paz de Colombia constituyó un claro éxito en la construcción de paz, y fue posible gracias a una coalición nacional de mujeres muy diversa, que se movilizó para insistir en unas negociaciones que incluyeran la perspectiva de género.

Type: Analysis

Nonviolent ActionPeace Processes

View All Publications