India, International Community Must Lend Support to Myanmar’s Spring Revolution : Daily Current Affairs

Date: 06/03/2023

Relevance: GS-2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Phrases: Bamar majority, fragmented, failed state, Ethnic Armed Organizations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), United Nations.

Context:

Myanmar is in the midst of a revolution to replace military rule with a federal democratic union.
It is a culmination of Burma's independence movement that remained arrested by the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military regime.

Do you Know?

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is a country located in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, and Thailand.
Myanmar has a rich cultural and historical heritage, with evidence of human settlement dating back to the Paleolithic era.
The country gained independence from British rule in 1948, but has since been marked by a tumultuous political history, including multiple military coups and authoritarian rule.
Myanmar is known for its diverse ethnic groups and languages, including the Bamar majority.
Buddhism is the dominant religion, and the country is home to many important religious sites and monuments.
The economy of Myanmar is largely based on agriculture, with rice as the primary crop.
Natural resources such as oil, gas, and minerals also contribute to the economy. Despite this, Myanmar remains one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, with high levels of poverty and inequality.

Key Highlights:

The outcome of the revolution will determine if Myanmar will become a new federal democracy or a fragmented, failed state that is prey to predatory powers, drug lords, and organized crime.
The struggle has been marked by a crackdown on peaceful protests, followed by armed guerrilla warfare, waged by hundreds of local "peoples defence forces" against military rule and repression.
Human toll: Thousands killed, tens of thousands arrested, resistance hubs burnt, shelled, or bombed, and an estimated 1.5 million displaced, including refugees in Mizoram and Manipur.
The Tatmadaw's repression has forced over 50% of Myanmar's territory out of their control, and they have not been able to impose stability as they did after 1990.
The Myanmar Army has responded by extending the state of emergency for another six months beyond constitutional provisions, expanding martial law to 43 townships across nine provinces and trying to gerrymander new elections.
The Tatmadaw is at a cul-de-sac, lacks political imagination, and holds no future for the youth of Myanmar.
Real power is subtly shifting to the more powerful Ethnic Armed Organizations, which have set up their administrative and justice systems and provision of basic services.

Geopolitical Implications:

The political instability and violence in Myanmar can have a significant impact on the economic and political stability of the region.
Create a power vacuum: A failed state in Myanmar could create a power vacuum that could be exploited by extremist groups, drug lords, and organized crime, leading to a further destabilization of the region.
Influx of refugees in neighboring countries: Moreover, the violence and displacement of people due to the military crackdown in Myanmar have led to an influx of refugees in neighboring countries, which could further destabilize the region.
War by the Myanmar Army against its own people: The struggle in Myanmar is a war by the Myanmar Army against its own people, untainted by majoritarian, ethnic, sectarian, religious, linguistic, left, right, or communist motivations or labels.

Way Forward:

To ensure the success and stability of Myanmar's democracy, international support and intervention are crucial.
The international community should take steps to provide humanitarian aid and support to the displaced people and refugees in neighboring countries.
Diplomatic and economic pressure should be applied on the military junta to end the violence and repression of the peaceful protestors.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) could play a significant role in resolving the crisis in Myanmar.
ASEAN could use its influence to persuade the military junta to engage in a dialogue with the opposition groups and to restore democracy in Myanmar.
The United Nations and other international organizations should also provide support to ensure free and fair elections and assist in the creation of a stable and democratic government in Myanmar.
Furthermore, neighboring countries like China and India, which have significant economic and strategic interests in Myanmar, should play a constructive role in resolving the crisis.
They should use their influence to pressure the military junta to end the violence and repression of peaceful protestors and support the creation of a democratic and stable government in Myanmar.

Source: The Indian Express

Mains Question:

Q. Discuss the implications of Myanmar's struggle for freedom and democracy on geopolitical relationships in the region. What steps can be taken to ensure the success and stability of Myanmar's democracy? (250 Words).