Mar. 26, 2021

Myanmar’s Deadly Impasse

Keith Martin MD, PC, Executive Director, The Consortium of Universities for Global Health

Michele Barry MD, Director of the Center for Innovation in Global Health, Stanford University

Russell Andrews MD, is a US based neurosurgeon

In a world inured to pictures of violence, it was a particularly jarring scene. On Feb. 9 a young woman, peacefully standing amongst protesters in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyitaw, collapses to the ground, shot in the head by a police officer. Since Feb. 1, when the Tatmadaw, (Myanmar’s army) staged a coup, the country has once again descended into rule by a junta that has no compunction about utilizing extreme force to maintain its power. According to Save the Children more than 320 civilians have been killed protesting the coup.

Violence has been endemic to Myanmar,which has not seen a year of peace since prior to World War II. But the events over the last six weeks stand out as being even more brutal than usual.

The Tatmadaw staged a coup on Feb.1st as it was seeing its power wane at the hands of a duly elected civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. As an institution, Myanmar’s military resembles an organized crime syndicate — except with more lethal weaponry. It is a kleptocratic thugocracy that uses the levers of the state to enrich itself. The military leaders generate vast wealth for themselves through formal legal businesses and via the illegal trafficking of drugs, timber and wildlife products.

However, even by Myanmar’s bloody history, this coup stands out for the ruthless application of violence against its civilians. This crisis has had such a profound effect even the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which normally adheres to the doctrine of nonintervention in the domestic affairs of its member states, met and stated in a communique that they are willing to ‘assist Myanmar in a positive, peaceful and constructive manner.’ They said that ‘the wish and goodwill of ASEAN to help will be unable to be carried out if Myanmar doesn’t open up its doors to ASEAN’. Even China which has a complex relationship to Myanmar’s military rule has indicated discontent with the coup albeit this has been questioned.

Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations, Kyaw Moe Tun, made an emotional plea on Feb. 26th at the General Assembly saying, ‘We need further strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup, to stop oppressing the innocent people, to return the state power to the people and to restore the democracy’. This echoes the plea of healthcare workers in Myanmar that was published on Feb. 19th in The Lancet: ‘We urge our colleagues to join a global movement of protest against injustice and demand for the return of peace and democracy to Myanmar. The unlawful military regime presents an extreme risk to the health and human rights of the people of Myanmar and must not continue’.

These calls for urgent action are rooted in the knowledge that despite the appalling violence witnessed so far, things can become far worse. The civilian population is determined and united in its opposition to military rule. The junta, isolated and fearful about losing the power that enables it to enrich itself, is willing to exact extreme violence on the populace to maintain that power.

What can be done to deescalate this dangerous situation?

-The international community should lend its full support to the ASEAN proposal which calls for: the two sides coming together to negotiate a peaceful resolution; the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political detainees; and the cessation of violence against the protesters and the general public,

-Any foreign assistance to the Myanmar government should be redirected to humanitarian organizations directly supporting the civilian population,

-The personal overseas assets of anyone in or associated with the Myanmar military should be frozen and if deemed to be the proceeds of crime, those assets should be apprehended,

-All arms sales and/or support to the military junta must cease immediately.

There is a rare alignment between a broad swath of civilian groups in Myanmar, regional states and some of the most powerful countries in the world. This unity of purpose should be applied to diffusing the crisis in Myanmar. It is the best chance we have of averting additional bloodshed in Myanmar and potential destabilization in South East Asia.

Contact: Keith Martin MD, executivedirector@cugh.org