Longest civil war of modern times

The civil war in Burma is the longest-running internal conflict of modern times. It started shortly after Burma – nowadays Myanmar – achieved independence from the UK on 4 January 1948, and continues to the present day. Small armed groups are active in the west and, according to Amnesty International, clashes in Rakhine State started in June 2012 and have continued since. In 2011, the government instituted reforms including ceasefire agreements with 12 of the 13 major non-state armed ethnic groups, amnesties and peace talks, which have all led to an opening up of the country.

The longest period of continuous civil warfare from any era lasted for 254 years from 475 to 221 BC in China and is known as the Warring States Period or Zhanguo shidai.