China seen as influential on Myanmar as Kenya joins world in push for democracy

Kenya has joined other UN Security Council members in demanding an urgent return to democracy in Myanmar, signaling continued pressure on the military junta in the South Eastern nation.

A presidential statement proposed by the UK and supported by Kenya said the country’s junta must immediately release detained political leaders and allow civil liberties.

“The security council strongly condemns the violence against peaceful protesters, including against women, youth and children,” it said on Friday.

“It expresses deep concern at restrictions on medical personnel, civil society, labour union members, journalists and medical workers and calls for immediate release of those detained arbitrarily.”

The Asian country woke up to a military take-over early in February after the army disagreed with parliamentary results of November 2020.

The military declared a year-long State of Emergency and transferred power from civilian leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint to chief of the Army Ming Aung Hlaing. All civilian leaders under the National League for Democracy (NLD) were arrested from their residences in the capital Naypyidaw.

Since then, dozens of protesters have been killed as soldiers impose restrictions and implement the military rule.

"Campaign of terror"

Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN), a Myanmar rights lobby based in London, said on Saturday that there have been the arrest, torture and murder of Muslim National League for Democracy (NLD) members.

“The military has engaged in a campaign of terror against the civilian population since the February 1 coup, and in recent weeks has begun to target individual civilians for their party affiliation and religion.

“Without intervention from the international community and support for the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) the situation will continue to deteriorate. The world must learn its lesson from its failures to act for the Rohingya and take immediate action to put an end to the violence unfolding against civilians,” said Kyaw Win, the lobby’s Executive Director, referring to the March 7 murder of U Khin Maung Latt, a muslim rights activist in Myanmar.

Dr Martin Kimani, Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN said Nairobi supported the statement as part of its own traditions and those of the African Union to respect constitutional governments.

“Kenya called for the presidential statement to demonstrate our opposition on the Myanmar coup on the basis of our constitutional values and adherence to the African Union Constitutive Act and its condemnation and rejection of unconstitutional changes of governments,” he said.

Super powers' reactions

Nairobi spoke as other major powers - US, UK and India - also raised concerns about the military coup. 

The US warned of consequences if power doesn’t return to the hands of the civilians, while the UK said all civilian leaders should be released, humanitarian access allowed and a return to democracy launched.

India, which is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council like Kenya, called for the country to return to the rule of law.

An earlier statement issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said, “India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar... We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld.”

With the condemnations, however, there has been little change in the stance by the military junta. It has refused to release the political leaders and heavily restricted access by aid and medical workers.

No interference

The UN Security Council said it supports the work of the local bloc, the Association of Southeastern Asian Nations (ASEAN), in prevailing upon the junta to back down.

ASEAN, which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Brunei Darusalaam and Singapore often rejects external interference but has lacked solidarity on Myanmar.

BHRN said it called on the council and other international entities to impose targeted sanctions on the military and businesses as well as a global arms embargo, and an investigation by the International Criminal Court.

Myanmar is current  Coordinator Country between China and ASEAN.

Though Beijing supported the end of violence, it was among the major powers opposed to interference in Myanmar and rejected any plans for punitive action on the junta.

“Stable China-Myanmar relations, regardless of who is in power in Naypyidaw, are thus a key goal for Beijing,” said Henrick Tseng, an Associate Research Fellow at the Regional Security Architecture programme at Nanyang technological University in Singapore.

China's protection

China vehemently shielded Myanmar from any strong actions by the Security Council and Tseng says that could have earned it influence. Last year, President Xi Jinping toured Myanmar and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the country earlier this year.

“Myanmar is also seen as a key node in China’s Belt and Road Initiative under the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, and is he current co-Chair of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism,” he added referring to the Mekong river cooperation arrangements

“Before the military take-over, China was eager to shore up relations with Myanmar’s civilian government as the southeastern Asian country prepares to take over ASEAN-China country coordinator role from the Philippines this year.”

Some observers think, however, that China’s investments in Myanmar, including by way of an oil pipeline, means Beijing would support the government of the day only as long as its economic interests are not threatened.

Enze Han, a political scientist at the University of Hong Kong, argued thatany sudden instability in Myanmar would jeopardise Beijing’s interests.

Speaking to Nikkei, he said there was a “tremendous amount of anxiety in Beijing about the huge stakes the country is facing in Myanmar”, especially since China was already in good books with Suu Kyi’s administration.

Despite the anxiety, however, China would rather not issue a public condemnation.

Recently, Beijing abstained on a vote at the UN Human Rights Council, which sought to condemn Myanmar’s violations. In the past, China which sits on the Human Rights Council, often opposed motions, especially on Rohingya Muslims, ostensibly to appease Myanmar’s government.

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