How India Can Restore Democracy in Myanmar
BY
May 13, 2021
As violence escalates in Myanmar, India’s failure to support its neighbor s democratic aspirations will have a far-reaching impact on its national security as well as stability in the region.
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s the COVID-19 pandemic ravages the country and with a humanitarian crisis unfolding within its borders, it might seem untimely for India to exert efforts to restore democracy in Myanmar. But in geopolitics, there’s nothing more important than decisive, opportune action. While India’s Westphalian non-interventionist foreign policy has been a subject of robust discussion, credited as both a success and failure, it is high time for the world’s largest democracy to resort to action; walk the talk. Since the Tatmadaw, the Burmese military junta, led by its Commander-in-Chief General Min Aung Hlaing, ousted the Suu Kyi government on 1 February 2021, Myanmar has witnessed the rise of widespread civil protests and excessive ag
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The complexities of dealing with Myanmar
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As global economic sanctions aren’t likely to work, India should look to promote trade and tourism with the eastern neighbour
People across Myanmar were celebrating the victory of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy on February 1, when the Myanmar Army, led by its Commander-in-Chief General Min Aung Hlaing, struck, with the announcement of a military takeover. This brought to an end, an all-too-short five-year experiment with democratic governance in the country.
Myanmar had been ruled by military-led governments from 1962 to 2016. The army announced a one-year State of Emergency as soon as it took over. All rallies and gatherings of more than five people were banned. Martial law was imposed in key urban centres across the country. The army plays a dominant role in Myanmar’s national life. The army led by General Bajwa, likewise, has the final say in determining national policies, in Imran Khan’s “democratic�
Ten years after her release, Aung San Suu Kyi is back in detention in Myanmar
During 15 years under house arrest, Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi transformed from a national figure into a global icon of democracy, winning the Nobel Peace Prize and a host of other accolades.
She was finally released in 2010, and five years later, military rule ended as the country held its first free elections in 25 years, in which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide.
Suu Kyi’s victory was lauded within the international community, where it was
viewed by many as a triumph of democratic values over the forces of authoritarianism. But true democracy requires more than a single election victory.
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