In Myanmar, you can't tell the bit players without a program. Even DP dares not dive too deeply into the various military, political, narco, ethnic, regional and ideological groups that want a piece of Myanmar for themselves. There are estimated to be at least 35 insurgency groups fighting or operating inside Myanmar (19 of them under the leadership of Karen leader Bo Mya), although most of them have made a precarious peace with Yangon. Depending on who's counting, they range in size from a handful of overeducated hotheads living in refugee camps, bad-ass shoot-to-kill drug smugglers, archaic political parties, regional warlords, and well-meaning but poorly equipped tribes to large, well-equipped armies of over 25,000 soldiers, complete with armored divisions. There are four major ethnic divisions, with 67 recognized tribal groups, with the majority Burmese living along the fertile center. Keep in mind as you travel around the country that most border and northern areas have some sort of grudge match going on at any one time. The Karen Nationals have been fighting for independence since 1948. The various groups fighting the SLORC are united under the name Democratic Alliance of Burma, but virtually all factions have made peace with Yangon over the last two years.
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