Asia’s conflicts and simmering disputes span some of the world’s most consequential fault lines, from Myanmar’s civil war to long-running separatist movements and territorial disputes that carry implications well beyond the countries directly involved. Crisis Insights tracks these developments across the region, following both the active conflicts that dominate headlines and the slower-burning tensions that shape the region’s longer-term security outlook.
Myanmar’s descent into civil conflict following the 2021 military coup remains one of the region’s most closely watched situations, pitting the military against a widening coalition of resistance forces and long-established ethnic armed organizations. Elsewhere, separatist movements in parts of South and Southeast Asia continue to test the capacity of central governments to manage demands for greater autonomy without resorting to force.
Territorial disputes add another persistent layer of tension across the region, from contested maritime boundaries to unresolved border questions that periodically flare into diplomatic or military standoffs. These disputes rarely exist in isolation from broader great-power competition, which has increasingly shaped how regional actors calculate the risks and incentives around escalation.
Our analysis in this area focuses on tracking how these varied conflicts and disputes interact with one another and with the wider regional order, aiming to give readers a clearer picture of where instability is most likely to persist or spread.