Those who are “faithful to the state,” as determined by the military leadership in Myanmar, will be eligible to apply for concealed carry permits, so say media outlets. Reports in the local press indicated that the generals, who had taken control from the elected government two years prior, intended to issue licenses to anybody over the age of 18 who want to legally carry firearms and ammunition. Those in the public sector and the military retiring would also be eligible to keep their weapons.
Since the coup in February 2021, Myanmar has been under a state of emergency, which some UN experts have described as a civil war. Shadowy pro-military militias have also arisen, while armed resistance groups have sprung up around the nation, sometimes training and fighting alongside ethnic armed organizations that have been opposing the military for decades. The home ministry of the military government is supposedly responsible for the 15-page document that was just posted online and outlines the requirements for civilian gun ownership. Permit holders must not be “disturbing state security” and must demonstrate “loyalty to the nation” and “excellent moral character. All permit holders must also cooperate with local authorities in “security, law enforcement, and stability” and “crime prevention measures,” as stated in the agreement. As defined by the military, its detractors are now terrorists. The text further states that those who are part of a counterinsurgency force, an officially established militia, or a former member of the military are permitted to carry pistols, rifles, and submachine guns. According to a military appointee, the policy reinstated a restriction on gun ownership that had been repealed during the rebellion against the previous military administration in 1988. According to Myanmar Now, an online news agency, the ministry said, “After an examination, the [1977] policy on carrying guns has been changed and augmented as is necessary to be in step with the changing scenario.” When asked about the plan in an interview with the BBC’s Burmese language service on Sunday, Major General Zaw Min Tun confirmed it.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), over the course of the two-year conflict, 31,022 people have been killed, including both combatants and civilians. Additionally, the military has increasingly resorted to air attacks in an effort to stamp out opposition to its rule. The United Nations has accused the military of war crimes and crimes against humanity, claiming that the conflict has caused the displacement of 1.2 million people and the departure of over 70,000 others.
