Editing Politics of Myanmar (section)

=== 1988 Uprising ===
The [[State Peace and Development Council|SPDC]] junta which took power in 1988 had been responsible for the displacement of several hundred thousand citizens, both inside and outside of Burma. The [[Karen people|Karen]], [[Karenni people|Karenni]], and [[Mon people|Mon]] ethnic groups have sought asylum in neighbouring [[Thailand]], where they are also abused by an unfriendly and unsympathetic government.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} These groups are perhaps more fortunate than the [[Wa people|Wa]] and [[Shan people|Shan]] ethnic groups, who have become [[Internally displaced person|internally displaced peoples]] in their own state since being removed from lands by the [[military junta]] in 2000. There are reportedly 600,000 of these internally displaced peoples living in Burma today. Many are trying to escape forced labour in the military or for one of the many state-sponsored [[drug cartel]]s.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} This displacement of peoples led, and continues to lead to human rights violations as well as the exploitation of minority ethnic groups at the hands of the dominant Bamar group. The primary actors in these ethnic struggles include, but are not limited to, the military, the [[Karen National Union]], [[Kachin Independence Army|Kachin Independence army]], [[United League of Arakan]], [[Restoration Council of Shan State]], and the [[Mong Tai Army]].

The military gave up some of its power in 2011, leading to the creation of a [[Illiberal democracy|semi-democratic]] system, although problems remained, including outsized influence by the military under the 2008 constitution, as well as economic and ethnic issues. In 2015 the military began taking steps to make peace with various ethnic armed groups calling a [[Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement]] which was signed by many such groups.