China closes when sanctions for coup in Myanmar… Biden government concerned

In October 2018, Aung San Suu Kyi, General Min Aung Haeng, head of the Myanmar State Advisor and Military Department. [AFP=연합뉴스]

US President Joe Biden said on the 1st (local time) that the military coup in Myanmar was an attack on democracy and that the United States would hold the lead accountable. Nonetheless, it is pointed out that the number of Myanmar sanction cards that President Biden can use is limited. This is because Myanmar is a country where the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy to check China and China’s one-on-one policy of globalization intersect.

The coup in Myanmar, which took place more than 10 days after its inauguration, raised the Biden administration’s grievance.

In a statement that day, President Biden stipulated that “the military seized power in Burma, detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials, and declared a state of emergency is a direct attack on the country’s transition to democracy and rule of law.” . “The international community must join forces to pressure the Burmese military to immediately renounce power, free detained activists and officials, lift all communications regulations, and refrain from violence against civilians.” He also predicted that “the law and authority on sanctions needs to be reviewed immediately, and appropriate measures will follow.” Since Myanmar has made progress in democratization, the Barack Obama administration lifted the sanctions, but the incident severely warned that it could be imposed again.

U.S. President Barack Obama, who visited Myanmar in 2012, greets Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar National Advisor. [AFP=연합뉴스]

President Biden did not use the expression’coup’ in his statement. The same was true of the names of White House spokesman Jen Saki and Secretary of State Tony Blincoln the day before. Politico, a media outlet specializing in politics, reported that the White House and the State Department had a dispute over whether to define the situation as a coup.

In the case of a coup, the United States must cease providing assistance to Myanmar under the Foreign Assistance Act. The law stipulates that “in accordance with military coups or orders, legally elected heads of government should be restricted from applying to the expelled state.”

The problem is that if the US sanctions Myanmar and breaks relations, it could result in Myanmar’s close contact with China.

China has included Myanmar in its’One Belt One Road’ policy in order to use it as a base to go out to the Indian Ocean from the southwestern part of the mainland that is not in contact with the sea. It is promoting a wide range of projects related to trade, energy and infrastructure.

It is in this context that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China after the coup stated that “China is a close neighbor to Myanmar,” and “I hope all parties will maintain political and social stability by properly managing disagreements according to the Constitution and laws.” In such a situation, if the United States imposed sanctions, isolated Myanmar could become closer to China, which could interfere with the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy for Chinese containment.

US President Joe Biden. [AFP=연합뉴스]

Reflecting these concerns, Biden urged the regional democratic alliance to work together in response to Myanmar.

In a statement, President Biden said, “The international community should make a single voice to press the Burmese military,” and “the United States will pay attention to the country that stands on the side of the Burmese people in this difficult time.” They are going to see which countries are working together in the pressure of Myanmar. White House spokesman Saki said at a press conference that day, “the United States is intensively discussing this matter with alliances and partners in the region and around the world.”

Biden referred to Myanmar by its old name,’Burma,’ and did not call it the official name Myanmar. The purpose is to condemn the military and empower the people by rejecting Myanmar, the national name approved by the international community, and calling it Burma in order to establish legitimacy by the military.

Washington = Correspondent Park Hyun-young [email protected]