Myanmar: War with the Junta
Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit reveals the shifting dynamics in war-torn Myanmar through exclusive video, unearthed military documents and rare testimony from whistleblowers who once served in the security forces. The investigative programme, Myanmar: War with the Junta sheds new light on the horrific measures employed by some of those security forces to maintain control, including the forced conscription of young vulnerable civilians and interrogation centres where it is claimed that detainees are often tortured to death.
In the film the former frontline soldiers, air force members and medics provide insight into why the junta has lost so much rural territory across Myanmar since seizing power in a coup that ignited the civil war four years ago. The exclusive military files obtained by Al Jazeera act as compelling evidence to support these accounts. Photos reveal that family members of soldiers are being trained in weaponry to act as reserve forces due to troop shortages, while poorly made bombs are indiscriminately dropped on villages using rudimentary techniques.
Experts are concerned that Myanmar could fragment, as hundreds of civilian militia groups and ethnic armies are fighting together against the military to restore democratic rule.
During the filming Al Jazeera ventured into rebel-held areas to investigate how these forces are swiftly establishing governance while defending liberated towns from attacks. Resistance leaders offer candid insights into the battlefield weaknesses that hinder their success and the challenges of administering justice to captured Myanmar military soldiers.
Exclusive helmet camera footage of missions by young inexperienced rebel forces reveals not only the threats confronting them, but also, more troublingly, the atrocities they may be committing on the frontlines, far from public scrutiny.
Ali Fowle, Fiona MacGregor and the underground filmmaking network ‘Burma VJ’ make up the reporting team behind Myanmar: War with the Junta. With unrivalled extensive contacts and a proven track record of producing award winning original investigative journalism from inside Myanmar, their gripping documentary exposes a litany of hidden injustices occurring in a war that has largely slipped from international attention.
“Myanmar: War with the Junta” will be aired on Al Jazeera English on – Monday 10th November 2025 at 0100 GMT and is available on YouTube at the following link.
