The number of deaths from the civil war that erupted after the 2021 military coup has exceeded 100,000, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), an organization that monitors wars around the world.
On February 1, 2021, the military overthrew the civilian government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, ending a decade-long democratic transition. Millions of people dissatisfied with the coup held nationwide protests, which were met with violent repression by military leaders , arrests, and even an armed uprising against the coup leaders . According to the latest available figures, the death toll since the coup has reached 100,114, according to ACLED.
Although the exact death toll has not been officially released and estimates vary, the five-year civil war is considered by analysts to be the deadliest in Asia.
"The pain and heartbreak are endless," said Ma Thein Aye Nu, 49, whose husband was killed in an airstrike in Rakhine State in June. "I feel so angry and so sad. But then I don't know who to be angry at or who to be sad for. I just have to accept fate and calm down ," she told AFP.
Five years later, the military junta leader arrested and deposed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her political rivals, expelled them from politics, and held elections at the military's discretion. The election was criticized by the international community, including the United Nations, as a sham and a sham.
The military-backed United Solidarity and Development Party won the election, and the coup leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, was elected president . However , observers point out that the military regime, in a new name, continues to rule , rather than the free and fair democracy that the people desire .
ACLED found that by 2025, Myanmar will be the second most violent conflict-ridden country in the world, after the Palestinian territories. It has recorded up to 1,200 armed groups, making it “the most fragmented and fragmented armed conflict in the world, within a single anti-military cause,” ACLED said.
In 2024, the military service law was enacted and young people were forced to serve in the military. In early 2025, China's military and political support was received. In 2025, more than 50,000 young people were forced to serve in the military. By the end of 2025, the Myanmar military had gained a military advantage, but the armed groups were unable to defeat them, according to the ACLED report.
