The Humanitarian Crisis in Myanmar.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is an ethnically and religiously diverse country in Southeast Asia. It was ruled by a military government for nearly 50 years until it began to shift to a more democratic nation roughly a decade ago (BBC 2021). A series of reforms by the military government in 2011 and 2012 opened the door for political activist Aung San Suu Kyi, along with her political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), to help transform the nation into a democratic government (BBC 2021). This culminated with her election as State Counselor in 2015.

Protestors in Myanmar. AP News.

The following election, in November of 2020, saw the NLD party secure roughly 83% of the 476 available seats (BBC 2021). The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development party were left with only a small fraction of the seats (BBC 2021). The military, also known as the Tatmadaw, claimed that the election was fraudulent and blamed voter errors as well as foreign interference for their overwhelming defeat.

Unable to accept the loss of the election, the Tatmadaw, lead by Min Aung Hlaing, staged a coup on February 1st of this year. They arrested several national leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi, in an attempt to seize back control of the government (BBC 2021). The outraged citizens of Myanmar are peacefully protesting the coup and are demanding that the Tatmadaw relinquish its power and return government control to the NLD party. Unfortunately, the Tatmadaw has labeled any protester as a criminal and is allowing for open fire on unarmed citizens, causing a severe humanitarian crisis (Beech). Since the beginning of February over 400 innocent people, including infants and children, have been murdered by the militant government (BBC 2021). The brutal massacre has seen some citizens burned alive by the Tatmadaw, including a snack vendor in Mandalay (Doherty).

Loved ones mourning the loss of their relative who was shot in the chest.
Times Magazine

While many people abroad may wonder how these soldiers can stomach murdering innocent citizens, Capt. Tun Myat Aung, who deserted the military, gave valuable insight. According to him, people in the Tatmadaw are “brainwashed” by the military and are fed propaganda while also being closely monitored (Beech). Many people are raised in the military and gain a fear of foreign influence. In some ways, it reminds me of George Orwell’s 1984, where the children in that society were trained to believe everything the government had told them, prepping them to do anything for their country without question. Due to this constant stream of propaganda, as well as being insulated from the rest of their society, the soldiers are willing to carry out any orders they are given (Beech). These men have never truly experienced democractic leadership but instead are under the thumb of a charismatic authoritarian ruler.

Soldiers in Myanmar. Politico

The larger question yet to be answered is, what do other nations do about it? As of right now, the U.S.A. has imposed sanctions, ending all diplomatic trade with Myanmar. President Joe Biden’s administration stated that the block on trade "’ will remain in effect until the return of a democratically elected government,’"(Klein 2021). The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar hopes to implement what they call the “three cuts” strategy in hopes to fight the crisis in Myanmar (Doherty). They want to petition the international courts for help, implement an internally monitored arms embargo, and use financial sanctions to strip the military of any funding (Doherty).

Sen General Min Aung Hlaing. Times Magazine

I personally agree with the stance of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, that there should be international action taken to stop the needless killing of innocent people. I applaud the nations, like those in the EU or the United States, for taking some action to put an end to the horrendous rule of the military government. However, I believe the United Nations is the proper authority to intervene with aggressive action. Knowing that the Tatmadaw is suspicious of the meddling of outside democracies, I believe it would do little good for just a small coalition of nations to get involved. The UN, with its broad council of nations from many political ideologies, should have more legitimacy in the eyes of the military. UN troops can protect the innocent citizens of Myanmar and also contain the military and restore the elected government leaders who are now wrongfully imprisoned.

Injured protestors in a makeshift hospital. Times Magazine.

Though intervention in the affairs of other nations should only be done with careful consideration, I believe there are times when the human rights of others must be protected. History is filled with preventable atrocities, and we do not want to live with the regret of inaction.

Restoring the rightfully elected leaders of Myanmar would be the best outcome of UN or other foreign intervention. Unlike failed attempts to install favorable governments by foreign actors, this would simply be the preservation of the existing and sovereign government that the people of Myanmar have chosen.

Sources:

Beech, Hannah. “Inside Myanmar's Army: 'They See Protesters as Criminals'.” The New York Times, 28 Mar. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/03/28/world/asia/myanmar-army-protests.html.

Doherty, Ben. “Myanmar Military a 'Terrorist Group' That Should Face International Court, Advisory Council Says.” The Guardian, 29 Mar. 2021, www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/30/myanmar-military-a-terrorist-group-that-should-face-international-court-advisory-council-says.

Klein, Betsy. “US Suspends All Diplomatic Trade Engagement with Myanmar After Weekend of Violence Against Pro-Democracy Protesters.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 Mar. 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/03/29/politics/us-trade-suspension-myanmar/index.html.

BBC. “Myanmar: Why Are People Protesting? .” BBC News, 28 Mar. 2021, www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/56554156.

AP News.“Myanmar Protesters Back on Streets despite Police Violence.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 10 Feb. 2021, apnews.com/article/myanmar-coup-protests-updates-9408933976f3e63103627cff2eed8236. 

Win, Thin Lei. “What You Need to Know about the Coup in Myanmar.” POLITICO, 2 Feb. 2021, www.politico.eu/article/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-coup-in-myanmar/.