EDITORIAL: Refusing to accept last November’s landslide electoral victory of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, Myanmar military staged yet another coup on Monday, putting senior politicians including Suu Kyi, under arrests. A military-owned TV announced that the Commander in-Chief Gen Min Aung Hlaing would be in charge of the country for one year. Alleging “huge irregularities” in the polls and that the election commission had failed to address, the army pledged to hold fresh election after a year-long state of emergency. That sounds all too familiar, especially to people in this country. One year can stretch to a decade as the general, due to retire later this year, gives himself extensions for as long as he could.
Unfortunately, however, Suu Kyi did not prove to be a great proponent of democracy for which she had earned the Nobel Peace Prize. Instead of relying on people power that gave her party a momentous mandate in the 2015 elections, she made a Faustian bargain with the military in exchange for survival. She fully supported the military’s brutal genocidal campaign against the Rohingya Muslims, and appearing before the International Court of Justice in The Hague she defended the genocide case against Myanmar as an “internal conflict” in which some disproportionate force may have been used. Yet, however flawed may have been her performance and that of the party she heads, their two huge wins are reflective of a popular desire for democratic governance. At best, it was democracy in transition which, if left uninterrupted, could lead to a better future. Anticipating what was in the works, Suu Kyi had issued a preemptive statement, urging people “not to accept this, [and] to respond wholeheartedly and protest against the coup by the military.” So far, the people seem to be in a state of shock.
Meanwhile, the putsch has elicited worldwide condemnation. The UN Security Council scheduled a meeting for Tuesday to discuss the situation and possible measures. The strongest criticism has come from the US with President Joe Biden threatening to reinstate sanctions. He has also called for a concerted international response to press the military to relinquish power. That though may not have a deterrent effect considering that Western nations do not have much leverage over the country. China with $21.5 billion investments and accounting for about a third of all Myanmar trade can exert much more influence on the junta, i.e., if it chooses to do so. Its immediate response seems to have been guided by a desire not to offend the people who handed a massive electoral victory to the National League for Democracy, nor the military. “We have noted what has happened in Myanmar and are in the process of further understanding the situation,” said a foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing, adding: “we hope that all sides in Myanmar can appropriately handle their differences under the Constitution and legal framework and safeguard political and social stability.” It can only be hoped pressure by the international community, especially China, will force the military not only to take a backseat but also let the will of people prevail by restoring real political power to their elected representatives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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