Investment and resource extraction areas could become battlegrounds, ISP warns

In areas controlled by revolutionary forces, regions with foreign investment projects and resource extraction operations could see intensified military conflicts in the coming period, ISP-Myanmar analyzed in its Stakeholder Tracker released yesterday (July 31). According to ISP-Myanmar, after Min Aung Hlaing took office as president, the Myanmar military has been intensifying operations to regain control of areas it does not yet fully control, including those with foreign investment projects. Therefore, it is said that military conflicts could become more intense in areas with resource extraction and investment projects among those controlled by revolutionary forces. ISP has analyzed that such intensified operations could not only cut off and block the connectivity and supply routes of revolutionary forces but also affect their military operational capabilities. The report states that the Myanmar military is trying to regain lost territories by accelerating military operations, while also attempting to persuade PDF members to surrender and pushing ethnic armed organizations towards separate ceasefire paths. According to ISP data, after the 2021 coup, the Myanmar military lost 101 towns, but it has managed to recapture 22 towns between 2024 and 2026. Although the recaptured territories are not vast, the report indicates that they are strategically important routes for the transport of arms and ammunition and troop deployment. ISP-Myanmar also noted that this study was compiled based on publicly available open-source data, and there may be some discrepancies due to limitations in data availability.