On May 16, the Tatmadaw, the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar, entered the town of Mindat, in the rebellious Chin state, as a triumphant occupying army.

The Tatmadaw, the military of Myanmar, which has dominated the country’s politics almost since independence, has finally achieved what no one believed was still possible: It has managed to unite all the people of Myanmar, across ethnic and religious divides… against itself.