They were a major reason why so many of Myanmar’s near 55 million citizens are mired in poverty. Yet there are factors to consider before imposing even wider sanctions.įirst, such measures inflict collateral damage. Indeed, following international outrage over events in the Rakhine state, selective sanctions have already targeted some of the military, including General Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief who has now taken power. Given the current situation, calls are growing to re-impose sanctions. Despite reforms by the military-backed government of President Thein Sein in 2011, the US lifted the bulk of sanctions in 2016, only after the NLD won the 2015 elections. These sanctions choked off trade and investment and severely curtailed travel into and out of the country for decades. Sanctions were the instrument of choice by the United States and the European Union, after the generals refused to respect the vote of 1990, brutally put down street protests and detained the NLD leadership. The point and disappointment of sanctions Yet neither can the international community simply stand by and carry on with business as usual, as if nothing has happened. Responses need not however replay the past when the West used blanket sanctions and treated the country as a “pariah”. The situation is fluid and events can be fast-moving, even if the present seems stilled.Īlthough dressed up as a “State of Emergency” by the 2008 Constitution drafted by the military, the seizure of power seems a replay of past Tatmadaw coups. If crowds respond with protest in the street or by other forms of civil disobedience, this could provoke clamp downs. Underlying this is distrust and the lack of communication and compromise.Īnother huge domestic factor is the anxiety and frustration of Myanmar citizens who clearly voted for the NLD. The sweep of the 2020 elections by Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League of Democracy (NLD) triggered the military response. In contrast, others including neighbouring China, Thailand and Cambodia consider this to be a domestic matter to be left to Myanmar.Ĭertainly, the main factors are domestic. The new Biden administration in the United States and the European Union (EU) are evaluating economic sanctions. The policy therefore allows for a flexible application of instruments and adaptation of prioritised interventions.The military intervention in Myanmar this week is leading many outsiders to consider an appropriate response. The risk of setbacks in the reform process cannot be ruled out. Key challenges are likely to remain unsolved for some time to come and this calls for a realistic and pragmatic approach. The country policy acknowledges that Myanmar is in a long-term transition process towards a peaceful and more democratic society with equitable, sustainable and inclusive growth. At the same time, Denmark will work in close coordination with other relevant partners, including international partners. Through its partnership with Myanmar, Denmark aims at supporting the government and people of the country in implementing their own priorities and plans. The ongoing transition in Myanmar also holds promise for much stronger commercial cooperation between Denmark and Myanmar in the years to come. An element in the new long-term partnership with Myanmar is a more active political dialogue both bilaterally and together with the EU and other development partners. At the same time, Denmark will continue its humanitarian support in conflict areas as needed. By making Myanmar a priority country for Danish development cooperation and opening an embassy in August 2014, Denmark has confirmed its support to the ongoing ambitious and long-term transition process. In 2011, Myanmar initiated a comprehensive reform process aiming to achieve a transition towards a more democratic, market-based and socially equal society with prosperity for all in tandem with an ongoing peace effort.ĭenmark has for decades supported the democratic forces in the country and provided humanitarian assistance to the many refugees and internally displaced people in the country’s border areas. Since independence, the history of the country has been characterized by civil war, military dictatorship and oppression of democratic forces as well as international isolation. It is one of Asia’s poorest and least developed countries.
Myanmar is a country in transition with great opportunities but also with many challenges.
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