The Myanmar Conflict Map
Developed by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Myanmar Conflict Map is a platform for data visualisation and analysis. The site features an interactive dashboard that allows users to map reports of violence across six distinct warscapes, filtering events by type, date and actor. An accompanying series of in-depth explainers provides readers with a framework for understanding the key dynamics and patterns that have come to define Myanmar’s ongoing conflict and political crisis. The platform also offers the Myanmar Conflict Update, a series of monthly analyses covering conflict trends and political developments in the country.
The IISS is an independent research institute which provides objective information on military, geopolitical and geo-economic developments that could lead to conflict. Our Southeast Asian Politics and Foreign Policy Programme analyses the connections between the politics and international relations of Southeast Asia, with a focus on consequences for conflict and diplomacy.
The team below is responsible for the site’s direction and development. A full discussion of our methodology is available here.
Research and production team
Morgan Michaels is the Research Fellow for Southeast Asian Politics and Foreign Policy at the IISS office in Singapore, and the managing editor of the Myanmar Conflict Map. His role is to oversee the development of the data-visualisation platform and to commission, edit and write the analyses. Prior to joining the IISS, Morgan worked as a conflict analyst and security consultant for various private and non-governmental clients operating in Myanmar. From 2017–20 he was a researcher at the Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security (MIPS), a think tank in Yangon. Morgan holds a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College. More information is available on the IISS website.
Brody Smith is a freelance information designer and creative developer with expertise in data visualisation, digital cartography, front-end development and graphic design. He has designed and built web interactives for the IISS, the Lowy Institute, the Bob Brown Foundation, the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group, and the Youth National Security Strategy. Brody’s work has received hundreds of thousands of views online and has been reported on by major news outlets including Axios, the Australian Financial Review and the ABC. More information is available on his website.
Dr Shona Loong is a senior scientist in political geography at the University of Zurich and a non-resident Associate Fellow for Southeast Asian Politics and Foreign Policy at the IISS. Shona has been lead researcher on the Myanmar Conflict Map since its launch in 2022, and will continue to be involved in the site’s analysis and in shaping its development. Shona has also published with leading peer-reviewed journals such as Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers and Political Geography, and has also written and edited for organisations including the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, the Berghof Foundation and the Stimson Centre. She holds a DPhil in Geography from the University of Oxford. More information is available on her website.
Dr Evan A. Laksmana is the Senior Fellow for Southeast Asia Military Modernisation at IISS–Asia. His research focuses on civil–military relations, military change, and Southeast Asian defence and foreign policies, with publications appearing in leading peer-reviewed journals and various regional and global media outlets. Prior to joining the IISS, Evan held senior research positions at both the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, Indonesia. He has also held non-resident and research positions with Carnegie China, the Lowy Institute and the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. He has a PhD in political science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. More information is available on the IISS website.