How does the regime change and political crisis in Myanmar threaten regional security and peace?. (UPSC CSE Mains 2023 - Political Science and International Relations Paper – 2)
- The continued violence in Myanmar is threatening stability within and around the nation. Myanmar’s one-year experience of military coups has put peace, security and stability in the region at risk, as have violations of democracy, human rights and the rule of law inside the country. Moreover, the confluence of countries in South and Southeast Asia poses an extreme security risk.
- The neighbouring nations sharing a border with Myanmar are displeased with the present situation on two grounds: First, the encroachment of air space, and second, the growing displacement issues.
- First, the encroachment of air space, as the constant airstrikes by the Junta and the firing of shells into the territory of the neighbouring nations have caused injuries to a few Thai and Bangladeshi people in addition to causing destruction of property. , and lodged a complaint against these incidents.
- The second ground of discomfort remains the growing displacement issues. Bangladesh is currently apprehensive that constant air strikes will lead to more displaced Rohingyas as Bangladesh is already struggling to host the refugees who were displaced during the Rohingya crisis in 2017. They have sternly informed Myanmar that they will not allow any more refugees into Bangladesh. Similarly, both Thailand and India are also not capable of accommodating the rising inflow of refugees in a proper manner, as they are not signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol.
- To lessen the toll of violence inflicted within the nation and the region at large, the UN asked countries to halt arms sales to Myanmar; however, this request, unfortunately, has remained unheeded. The nation gets a major proportion of its arms from two major powers, namely China and Russia, who have continued to supply most of Myanmar’s arms, ammunition, and aircraft post the coup. Myanmar has recently further cemented its relations with Russia by signing an atomic energy cooperation deal. This deal hopes to fulfil the military’s long-cherished dream of owning nuclear energy to generate, as they have claimed, electricity. It will be also used for scientific research and medicinal purposes. However, several analysts have raised concerns that the military will use it to create nuclear weapons. If this concern does turn out to be true, it can raise major issues across the world. It is to be noted that Myanmar is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) a legally binding international agreement that comprehensively prohibits nuclear weapons. The nation has also signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2018 but is yet to ratify it the Junta’s recent disregard for international law makes it difficult to say whether they will honour these treaties in the future or not.
- ASEAN criticised the killings, but the National Unity Government (NUG) of elected politicians who were overthrown by the military and coup opponents, as well as rights groups, are calling for more concrete action from the 10-nation group, which admitted Myanmar as a member in 1997.
- Much to the disappointment of many, the regional forums have done little to stop the ongoing violence. The current situation demands the designing of new measures, which will more effectively help to subdue the current mayhem that can destabilise the region further.
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