The murder of democracy by Myanmar military

Nearly the entire world is up in protest against the military action in Myanmar's junta which has been drowning in blood the popular agitation against the military's ruthless suppression of popular agitation. The military came into power ousting the democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi government, in the process also revoking the results of the election that had brought her into power. As on Tuesday, nearly five hundred citizens were ruthlessly massacred. And more tragically, given the suffering inflicted on the Myanmarese population through decades of military rule, the population who are naturally alarmed about the consequences of another military tenure, are flocking to neighbouring countries like Thailand where about 3,000 Myanmar refugees have already migrated. Neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, already seething under the Rohingyan refugees from Rakhine province, are also perturbed about the recent developments.

Although the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly demanded that the juna stop repressing demonstrations and killing protesters, that call has fallen on the deaf ears of Yangoon. US President Joe Biden the other day severely condemned the cruelty of savagely attacking even those who were conducting the funeral of dead bodies as a result of which over a hundred people had died. And when the military regime observed Myanmar's Armed Forces Day, the High Representative of European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell reacted that it was a day of horror and shame. The US has suspended all trade deals with Myanmar until the democratically elected government is restored to power. However, none of such US actions or objections by foreign countries has deterred the military junta from the atrocities. In this situation, the UN Security Council is reported to have decided to convene a secret meeting soon and deliberate on sanctions. Perhaps, today Wednesday a UNSC is likely to be convened. But in the current scenario, the United Nations can hardly think of a military intervention. Still, the UNSC has a precedent of taking decisions on sanctions against governments that engage consistently in human rights violations followed by actions based on them. The world now is keeping its fingers crossed to see if the UN will opt for such steps of embargo against Myanmar. But, if even one of the five permanent members exercises its veto by opposing sanctions, discussions along those lines will fail to bear fruit. In the case of Myanmar, China, which stands by the military junta, is the probable candidate to come to its rescue. Myanmar's Armed Forces Day was celebrated when the agitation for the restoration of democracy was at its zenith and in the thick of the bloody carnage of the military leadership.

Among the eight countries that participated in the military celebration, there were Russia, China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Had there been a semblance of protest or moral rage against Yangoons' blatant violation of democracy, none of these nations would have participated in this celebration. But, the two nations wielding veto powers, China and Russia, have never until today proved any commitment to democracy or humanitarianism. Any optimism in this regard would be out of place about the dictator Vladimir Putin, the main accused in the charge of conspiracy to give poison and murder Russia's opposition leader Navalny. As for China, the subject of the world's condemnation for brutally persecuting Uyghur Muslims and putting them in detention camps with callous disdain for human rights, has been acting as the saviour of Myanmar's junta. Democratic India, probably out of fear of China taking advantage of the situation, and Pakistan, always wary of India reaping gains from it, also took part in the Armed Forces Day. All of this tell us of an unfortunate situation in which priority is accorded to aspects interpreted as national interests which turn more decisive than humanity and human sympathy. When even the partial democratic rights, fought and won by Aung San Suu Kyi and the people, are thus being mauled unkindly, the less said the better about the apathy and helplessness of nations to make the slightest move against them. Still, however long the iniquity and injustices may sustain, Myanmarese people are proving their martyrdom by declaring that they are not ready to sacrifice their birthright of freedom. Therefore, This is a time for every one to offer warm greetings to the people of Myanmar and to declare solidarity with them.