In early February this year, the political situation in Myanmar underwent a sudden change. The military detained senior government officials, took over the country and declared a state of emergency in the country. Since then, a lot of people have taken to the streets to protest "peacefully," triggering social unrest in Myanmar. Myanmar is the country that, after World War II, has had the longest period of military rule, amounting to more than half a century.  Military politics occupies an important position in the country's economic development, social structure, political culture, and political participation. Why had military politics lasted so long in Myanmar? What impact will military politics have on the future development of Myanmar?

The Institute of Area Studies, Peking University, held a workshop on the theme of "Military Politics in Myanmar: Reality and Common Sense" on April 4, 2021. More than 10 experts and scholars from Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Xiamen University, Yunnan University, Xinhua News Agency, and the Ministry of Commerce exchanged ideas and discussed the above issues.