As the military coup - and the resistance opposing it - enters its sixth month, questions about Myanmar"s future are becoming increasingly urgent, according to an article by Foreign Policy published on 11 June 2021. World Watch Research analyst Thomas Muller comments: "While there was never any direct military resistance to the actual coup in February 2021, a prolonged civil war now seems to be an increasingly realistic possibility. But there is one major difference to the wars being waged in the background against the ethnic insurgency armies. While those battles are being fought in the far-flung peripheral regions (like Kachin or Shan State), there are an increasing number of reports about fighting taking place in the Burmese heartlands involving such major cities as Yangon and Mandalay (Radio Free Asia, 25 June 2021). With the economy and social services (such as health care) becoming affected, the likelihood of a humanitarian crisis is looming on the horizon and it will be ordinary families who will bear the brunt." Thomas Muller continues: "Meanwhile, the country"s de facto leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, has been in Moscow. There is no doubt that he was not simply strengthening ties to a longstanding ally, but, by attending a meeting of ministers of defense, was also seeking to improve weapon procurement (Radio Free Asia, 23 June 2021). Thus, the country is likely to be in for a period of prolonged fighting, much to the detriment of society in general, and especially for the ethnic and religious minorities."