Southeast Asia : Myanmar Suffers from Repression

                                    

Myanmar, a beautiful country of southeast Asia is suffering from a tight fist rule of Army named Junta. The controversy between people's street and Army headquarter is widening. People are chanting slogans for democracy but Junta wants executive power of the country. People's thirst for Democracy and Junta's thirst to rule is the main cause for recent bloody unrest.                    

                                                   

                                                                                                                                     The world is well known for the recent brutal Army takeover of Myanmar; even so, the representation of neighbouring countries were in the 76th Army day massive parade on March 27. On that bloody day, guests were taking hospitality of the Myanmar Army ( people of Myanmar also known Army as Junta or Tatmadaw) in the capital Naypyidaw, 327 Kilometer distance of Yangon, on At same day, about 114 protesters killed in the firing of Military forces. The scene was very controversial and unmatchable. Russian Deputy Defense Minister and different representative of neighbouring India, China, Laos, Bangladesh and Thailand were present to see Parade. It was looking like mild support of them, to Army step; probably, it was geopolitical-compulsion for them.       

While the newly elected parliament was in session, the military seized power in Myanmar on February 1, declaring a year-long state of emergency, and the country went into turmoil. Religiously, Buddhist dominated state was in shock and the people had great resentment toward the Junta for overthrowing the civil rule. The military commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing took all power of the state into his own hands. The forces came out of the barracks. The civil administration has collapsed, and internet and other independent information access narrowed. The election winner National League for Democracy leader and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other lawmakers arrested on charges of election irregularity and disobedience of National secrecy but, Election Commission and observers denied any charge.

The streets are busy with demonstrators against Army steps.  Civil Disobedience Movement is rapidly spearing all over the country against Army atrocity. The mounting movement of people is creating pressure on Junta. Frightened by the Junta's terror, people are escaping from Myanmar for seeking refuge in neighbouring Thailand and India. General Hlaing trying to assure people that democracy will be restored at the right time, though people are not ready to hear him. Because they are still aware of the character of the Army. The unexpected situation is provoking Army to more and more suppression to control. More than five hundred people brutally killed so far. Soldiers are searching protesters in residence at night and day. 

  Southeastern Asian multi-lingual and a multi-ethnic country with 54 million populations is trampling under the boots of Junta. Before 1948 the country was exploited by British colonial rule. During the Second Great War (1939-45), Myanmar became a battlefield of British versus Japanese Armies. Even after the Independence, Myanmar has not enjoyed civil rule so far. The Army always has been dominating the ruling process there. The constitution also permits to share of parliament and executive power. Most of the ethnic groups having their armed groups there, some of them are still active against the state army and government. Therefore, Army has been trying to control the state power on the pretext of security. General Ne Win, one of the Burmese politicians, who turned as Army chief later, was the first military dictator ruled from 1962 that was continued by his successors to 2011. People were in movement in 1988, and the saffron movement of monks and people was against the undemocratic steps of Tatmadaw in 2007. There is a long chain of peoples' struggle for democracy in Myanmar. Leader Suu Kyi was facing worldwide criticism for supporting the Army in the issue of Rohingya repression.   

                                  The geopolitics

Myanmar, on the Repression other hand, has long conflicted with various ethnic armed groups. Probably, this is one of the longest conflicts in the world. In such instability, external forces play a role. Myanmar is no exception.   

 During the Vietnam War (1955-75), Vietnamese guerilla warfare defeated America; American force was deployed there to support non-communist forces there. According to different sources before this, American intelligence was in contact with anti-communist Kuomintang through the land of Burma, during the Chinese civil war. It shows the continuity of American interest in the region. At this time, especially, America is competing with China to stay at world-superpower because Myanmar is in a multi-sectorial close-relation with Beijing. The United States has been cooperating with India, Australia and Japan through a forum named Quad to curb Chinese influence in the region. In 2007, Myanmar Government accused the CIA of provoking ethnic insurgency in its land. In the latest unrest in Myanmar, the American bloc wants a hard approach to the undemocratic military takeover and inhumane misdeeds of the Myanmar Army.

Even being a strategic partner in southern Asia, India is not condemning undemocratic and inhuman steps as American block. The participation of Indian in the Army ceremony indicates some geo-strategic compulsion of Delhi. India shares a 1458 Kilometer sensitive border with Myanmar on the eastern side. The border area, especially of Myanmar is heaven for the Indian separatist organizations like the United Liberation Front of Assam, different factions of Naga Socialist Council of Nagaland and other ethnic rebels. They are shaking hands with different ethnic armed groups of Myanmar.  India knows the sense of security and impossibility to curb armed unrest in the eastern part of the country, without the support of the Myanmar Army.  In the issue of Rohingya issue, India was a tilt in support of Myanmar than Bangladesh. Dhaka is facing the problem of more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees evicted by the Army from the Rakhine State of Myanmar in 1917. Dhaka still has been expressing its dissatisfaction with Delhi. India’s other major concern is the rapidly rising Chinese impact in Myanmar that opens access for China to the Indian Ocean. Overall, India is not ready to take the risk of diplomatic slippery in denying the Myanmar army. Perhaps India is giving a mild message to American strategic colleges that India stands on the national interest than the partnership, in the issue.

China is also not unaware of the anti-Chinese international interests that are active in this region. Beijing has been working here within a strategic Belt and Road initiation.  The Myanmar issue is heating United Nation but Russia and China are not ready to impose hard sanction on Myanmar Army. The interest of these stakeholders is looking like in favour of the Army in Myanmar. In this tug of war, the atrocity of Junta would be stop or not – the question is unanswered.