Leaders | Asia’s forgotten hellscape

Myanmar is a demonstration of Chinese hegemony in action

China is playing all sides in the country’s bloody civil war

Photograph: Getty Images
|4 min read

The world is not exactly short of crises. But one of the most alarming is also the most overlooked: an escalating state of anarchy in Myanmar, in the heart of Asia. The country is degenerating into a violent state of nature. Over 2m of its people are on the verge of starvation. The effects of crime, including drug-dealing, huge scam centres and human trafficking, spread far beyond its borders.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Asia’s forgotten hellscape ”

From the June 7th 2025 edition

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