KhinSandi Lwin and my IR Assignment

    I led a discussion with KhinSandi Lwin for Poly's global community. The presentation she gave at Poly was remarkably similar to the one I heard in my backyard. This time, though, I engaged in the material with peers and classes. 

    My International Relations class required that we attend the event, which allowed us to later dive into the issue. Ms. Gladden, my teacher, assigned a policy recommendation assignment where we were supposed to propose a policy to the presidents. 

    I'm including it below for two reasons: it has background information that we learned with KhinSandi, and it also is in the typical policy reccomendation format. So, I thought I would share it!

Dear President Biden and Vice President Harris, 

I hope you both are well. Below, you will find my official recommendation on how to approach the crisis in Myanmar. As I only provide suggestions and advice, I hope you will use the information to either agree with my recommendation or formulate your own response. 

In 2016, Myanmar planned and carried out an attack against the Rohingya population of Myanmar. After the Tatmadaw and local forces razed villages and killed thousands, Rohingyans were forced to flee Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the area where they previously lived, and move into Bangladesh. To many, this may be considered a genocide. Yet, Myanmar has yet to acknowledge the term, and the UN refers to the actions simply as a crisis for fear of misidentification. Since the attacks, the UN has met 7 times, yet no tangible progress has been made toward addressing the crimes against humanity. Just recently, the country of Myanmar experienced a military coup where the same Tatmadaw overtook the government, which effectively launched a military dictatorship. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and around 210,000 people have been displaced since the Tatmadaw took power. According to Special Rapporteur Andrews, there have been around 260 attacks on medical professionals and 50 hospitals have been closed. The military continues to attack medical supplies and facilities. Myanmar sits in a declared state of emergency. 

The UN Security Council has neither made an official statement nor has it taken substantial action. The UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar concluded that “security forces have carried out a widespread and systematic attack on the civilian population,” and “the reports of murders, sexual assaults, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture, and persecution” appear true. As of late, The Responsibility to Protect, endorsed by all states of the UN since 2005, has suggested policies, three of which are included below.

1.  The UNSC should immediately impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Myanmar and refer the situation to the ICC (International Criminal Court). While the ICC may intimidate Myanmar, a country that relies heavily on foreign aid, an arms embargo will do little to stop the humanitarian atrocities. 

2. All UN member states and regional organizations should take urgent measures in response to the reimposition of military rule, including by imposing economic sanctions on Myanmar’s oil and gas sector. An economic embargo seems most effective as Myanmar is a poorer country, but China will likely be angered by the restriction on the oil and gas because much goes to them. 

3.The military junta should not be diplomatically recognized as the legitimate representatives of Myanmar. Although impactful and symbolic, this fails to tangibly address the humanitarian issue.

My recommendation would be to not only neglect to recognize the military junta, but to also impose economic sanctions specifically on the oil and gas sector. Any economic imposition from the US to Myanmar will be seen as hostile to China, however. I see little way to avoiding conflict with China, here. More importantly, Myanmar will feel the pressure from not only the US, but from the other UN Security Council members. The US will be taking a stand against military governments and human rights violations, which will project a positive image.

I hope that you will consider my proposal thoroughly and clarify any obscurities. Thank you.