River access and denial in Myanmar’s war

What naval elements appear in Myanmar’s current war, and how do they compare with World War II?

Current forces use boats and rivers as access routes and practice access denial, whereas World War II rivers more often served as natural defensive lines.

The strategic value of a river depends on whether it runs along the direction an army needs to move. During the Second World War campaign in Burma, the principal axes of fighting often made rivers natural defensive barriers rather than convenient routes of advance. In the current Myanmar conflict, waterways provide access into contested areas and therefore support more direct boat activity. That access also creates a corresponding demand for denial operations intended to stop an opponent using the same routes.