Movement escalation and mobilization for resistance: From anti-coup protest to ‘People's War’ in Myanmar

Abstract

Protest campaigns have proven an effective form of contention to challenge authoritarian rule yet can at times escalate into armed conflict. This article aims to explain how a protest movement can escalate to an uprising by examining the case of Myanmar, where the 2021 military coup prompted the emergence of a diverse movement of strike groups, civil society, ousted Burman-majority parliamentarians, and ethnic minority resistance organizations. Based on original interviews with movement members, the article traces how repression triggered escalation and spurred increased cooperation among movement actors that resulted in an armed uprising. Building primarily on social movements and contentious politics studies, this article argues effective campaign framing was critical in maintaining movement unity and legitimizing violence as a form of resistance. Mobilization of resources in social networks and coalition networks was key to organizing armed resistance. The article contributes novel insights by showing that a diverse movement can strengthen cooperation to mount armed resistance, instead of fragment during escalation as studies have often found. The article also deepens our understanding of how movements with links to established armed actors may escalate, as it details how cooperation between mainstream protestors and armed actors can transform a movement into armed resistance.