Tatmadaw
The Tatmadaw (Burmese: တပ်မတော်; MLCTS: tatma.taw, IPA: [taʔmədɔ̀], lit. 'Grand Army') is the military of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include the Myanmar Police Force, the Border Guard Forces, the Myanmar Coast Guard, and the People's Militia Units. Since independence in 1948, the Tatmadaw has faced significant ethnic insurgencies, especially in Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Kayah, and Shan states. General Ne Win took control of the country in a 1962 coup d'état, attempting to build an autarkic society called the Burmese Way to Socialism. Following the violent repression of nationwide protests in 1988, the military agreed to free elections in 1990, but ignored the resulting victory of the National League for Democracy and imprisoned its leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The 1990s also saw the escalation of the conflict involving Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State due to RSO attacks on the Tatmadaw forces, which saw the Rohingya minority facing oppression and, starting in 2017, genocide, under the rule of democratically elected president Aung San Suu Kyi.
| Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) | |
|---|---|
| တပ်မတော် (Burmese) (lit. 'Grand Army') | |
Flag of the Myanmar Armed Forces | |
| Founded | 27 March 1945 |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | Naypyidaw, Myanmar |
| Website | |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Senior General Min Aung Hlaing |
| Deputy Commander-in-Chief | Vice-Senior General Soe Win |
| Minister of Defence | Admiral Tin Aung San |
| Joint Chief of Staff | General Maung Maung Aye |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18 years of age |
| Conscription | 18-45 years of age (male)
18-35 years of age (female) 2-3 years (during peacetime) 5 years (during emergencies) |
| Available for military service | 14,747,845 males, age 15–49 (2010 est.), 14,710,871 females, age 15–49 (2010 est.) |
| Fit for military service | 10,451,515 males, age 15–49 (2010 est.), 11,181,537 females, age 15–49 (2010 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually | 522,478 males (2010 est.), 506,388 females (2010 est.) |
| Active personnel | 150,000 |
| Reserve personnel | 18,998 (23 battalions of Border Guard Force, BGF (7498 personnel), 46 groups of People's Militia Group, PMG and Regional People's Militia Groups, RPMG (3500 personnel) five corps of university Training Corp, UTC (8000 personnel) |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $2.7 billion (2023) |
| Percent of GDP | 4% (2014) |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers |
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| Foreign suppliers | Belarus China India Iran Israel North Korea Philippines Russia Ukraine |
| Related articles | |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Myanmar |
Parliamentary Seats | |
|---|---|
| Seats in the Amyotha Hluttaw | 56 / 224 |
| Seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw | 110 / 440 |
| Seats in the State Administration Council | 9 / 18 |
In 2008, the Tatmadaw again rewrote Myanmar's constitution, installing the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in the 2010 elections, which were boycotted by most opposition groups. Political reforms over the next half-decade culminated in a sweeping NLD victory in the 2015 election; after the USDP lost another election in 2020, the Tatmadaw annulled the election and deposed the civilian government. The Tatmadaw has been widely accused by international organizations of human rights violation and crimes against humanity; including ethnic cleansing, political repression, torture, sexual assault, war crimes, extrajudicial punishments (including summary executions) and massacre of civilians involved in peaceful political demonstrations. The Tatmadaw has long operated as a state within a state.
According to the Constitution of Myanmar, the Tatmadaw is led by the commander-in-chief of Defence Services. Some actions of the Tatmadaw require the approval of the National Defence and Security Council, an eleven-member national security council responsible for security and defence affairs in Myanmar. The president of Myanmar has no command role over the Tatmadaw, though he may work with the NDSC in authorizing military action.