The Hidden Danger of "Area Denial Weapons" in Myanmar
In Burma, landmines are primarily used as area denial weapons by both the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups. In a recent podcast episode, Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan explains that these mines are often placed around military camps, infrastructure such as power pylons, dams, and bridges to prevent attacks and protect strategic points. Additionally, they are laid in agricultural fields and paths to prevent enemy forces from pursuing retreating soldiers, a practice that is especially dangerous as these mines are often left behind once the conflict moves on, posing long-term risks to civilians. Both the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups manufacture and deploy landmines, with the military producing more durable factory-made mines and the ethnic groups using a mix of improvised explosive devices and captured military mines. These mines not only serve military purposes but, in some cases, are used for economic reasons, such as protecting resources like timber or land, further entrenching their use in the conflict.
“In the future, these mines going to be removed an arm and a leg at a time.”
“An antipersonnel mine is an ‘area denial weapon’ for a person within any combatant structure, for any combatant. They are trying to keep one combatant out of an area. That is the primary stated usage by most of the combatants. They [mines] will be laid around military camps. And for the Myanmar armed forces, they will lay them around infrastructure that they feel may be attacked, like power pylons.
The Lawpita dam in Karenni state is well known for having landmines around it. Bridges. There was a bridge on the road to Hpa-An from central Myanmar; it used to have minefields on all four corners of the bridge. When you crossed whichever river that is there, to get to Hpa-An, very close to Hpa-An you could see the minefields. They were fenced appropriately around all sides on every bridge abutment to keep the bridge from being destroyed. That is the main usage.
They [mines] will also be laid on paths that the military feels may be used by a combatant from the other side to attack them. And sometimes they will be laid to prevent pursuit. Let's say you're running away from another one, you'll figuratively throw a few mines over your shoulders, because that might slow them down if they step on one. The latter two types are very problematic, because it's not a purpose-laid minefield anywhere. Those are just out there. In the future, they're going to be removed an arm and a leg at a time. The ones that were laid around camps are going to be a little bit easier to de-mine later on, even if you don't have an original map. As far as I know, only the Myanmar military keeps maps of that kind. I've known no ethnic armed group that kept any maps. Those are the primary rationales around this.”