Five years after beginning its long transition away from military rule, Myanmar is still coping with its inherent geopolitical challenges. In the country's upland border regions, government troops continue to fight sporadically with ethnic Kokang, Shan and Kachin rebels . Protests in the center of the country, the nation's core, continue to break out over government resource, land and education policies. However, the most visible of Myanmar's internal conflicts have been the periodic riots carried out by Buddhists against Muslims, particularly the ethnic minority Rohingya. These riots have highlighted a deep change in post-military Myanmar: the renaissance of political Buddhism. Led by groups such as the 969 movement and the Race and Religion Protection Association, this campaign sees Buddhism as key to Myanmar's national character and the country's Muslim minority as a threat to this.