Today, Myanmar's central government does not control most of the nation's borderlands. Instead, more than 20 armed ethnic armed groups — ranging in size from a couple hundred fighters to more than 30,000 — occupy pockets along Myanmar's borders, some claiming huge swaths of territory. In October 2015, the outgoing military-led government signed a cease-fire with eight militant groups. But several of the strongest ethnic groups — particularly a loose network of ethnic armies with valuable holdings along the Chinese border — were banned from the discussions. Seven other groups refused to join in solidarity. After nearly 50 years of fighting, many of the ethnic armies are well armed and adept at guerrilla warfare. What is more, they control resource-rich, quasi-independent territories.