The Myanmar Military's Language of Security and Its Implications for Regional Diplomacy

ABSTRACT On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military deposed the democratically elected government in a coup. The coup affected Myanmar's interactions with external interlocutors, bringing the country's security and stability into focus. The military's response to and framing of the resistance movement that emerged postcoup have affected interlocutors' attempts to resolve the crisis; collective efforts differ from individual interests. The Myanmar junta's narratives assert that it is the “guardian of the state” and blame the various ethnic armed organisations and resistance forces for disrupting stability. This paper examines a recurring reality in Myanmar: the military uses security narratives to justify its acts as being in the state's interests, while securing its survival. Such security speech acts invoke the military's guardian role, securitise the Rohingya issue, and also use security as a reason for the 2021 coup. The military's security language has deepened the divide in the country and hampered regional diplomacy.