The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Korean Lunar New Year vs. Chinese Lunar New Year

  • 3

    TWICE becomes first K-pop group to win Billboard Women in Music award

  • 5

    Cute canine film 'My Heart Puppy' reunites Yoo Yeon-seok, Cha Tae-hyun

  • 7

    Korea ranks 31st in international corruption perception index in 2022

  • 9

    US bill introduced to honor Korean War hero

  • 11

    Samsung refuses to cut chip output despite plunging profits

  • 13

    Cyber University of Korea offers online Korean language programs for foreigners

  • 15

    Retailers return to Myeong-dong as more foreign tourists visit

  • 17

    Korea seeks measures to better protect foreign workers

  • 19

    AmorePacific Museum of Art brings Joseon-era folding screens to center stage

  • 2

    INTERVIEWProduction company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise

  • 4

    Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse

  • 6

    Hybe acquires 56.1 percent stake in AI sound startup Supertone

  • 8

    Free subway rides for elderly emerge as headache for Seoul mayor

  • 10

    South Korea, US to expand size and content of joint military drills

  • 12

    Popular travel YouTuber recalls painful memories of being bullied at school

  • 14

    Holy Moly concert series brings 4 punk bands to Haebangchon

  • 16

    IMF slashes Korea's 2023 economic growth outlook to 1.7%

  • 18

    Ex-Ssangbangwool chief said to have paid N. Korea $8 mil. in 2019 on behalf of Lee, Gyeonggi Province

  • 20

    Korean corporations' dividend payout system to follow global standards

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Opinion
  • Yun Byung-se
  • Kim Won-soo
  • Ahn Ho-young
  • Kim Sang-woo
  • Lee Kyung-hwa
  • Mitch Shin
  • Peter S. Kim
  • Daniel Shin
  • Jeon Su-mi
  • Jang Daul
  • Song Kyung-jin
  • Park Jung-won
  • Cho Hee-kyoung
  • Park Chong-hoon
  • Kim Sung-woo
  • Donald Kirk
  • John Burton
  • Robert D. Atkinson
  • Mark Peterson
  • Eugene Lee
  • Rushan Ziatdinov
  • Lee Jong-eun
  • Chyung Eun-ju and Joel Cho
  • Bernhard J. Seliger
  • Imran Khalid
  • Troy Stangarone
  • Jason Lim
  • Casey Lartigue, Jr.
  • Bernard Rowan
  • Steven L. Shields
  • Deauwand Myers
  • John J. Metzler
  • Andrew Hammond
  • Sandip Kumar Mishra
Thu, February 2, 2023 | 10:47
John J. Metzler
Myanmar's junta backed into corner?
Posted : 2021-05-03 17:29
Updated : 2021-05-03 17:29
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
By John J. Metzler

As events in Myanmar continue to spiral into a dangerous descent of bloody civil conflict this strategic Southeast Asian nation has nearly reached a tipping point. Diplomacy is needed to defuse the crisis before it spins out of control with unpredictable consequences.

Amid this sense of urgency, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has called for "an immediate end to the violence," which had jolted Myanmar since the February military coup detat. ASEAN, a largely economic grouping of regional states, nonetheless is challenged to play a political role here to stop the spread of violence.

In a meeting in Jakarta, the ASEAN group reached a consensus and pressed Myanmar's military leader General Min Aung Hliang to stop the violence, release political prisoners, and open the country to humanitarian aid.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, aka "Jokowi," implored, "Violence must be stopped. Democracy, stability and peace in Myanmar must return immediately. The interests of Myanmar's people must be a priority." Indonesia, a regional powerhouse along with Singapore and Malaysia, has pushed for a wider role to stop the crisis in Myanmar which has seen more than 730 killed by the military junta.

Malaysia moreover advanced a plan including de-escalation of violence on the ground and an end to killing and violence against civilians.

But Thailand, a key country bordering Myanmar and having extensive commercial ties with the resource-rich country, was notable by its absence at the ASEAN meeting. Why? Thailand is itself ruled by a military regime and not anxious to rock the political boat. Thailand's political ambivalence is shameful.

Many observers no longer see the traditional military coup which quickly establishes control after a spasm of shocking of brute force. Now rather a sustained social media energized opposition from emboldened civil society as well as Myanmar's ethnic separatist armies all seem to oppose the coup.

The Tatmadaw, the powerful but shadowy military force which has controlled the country on and off since 1962, confronts what could be a situation roughly similar to Syria a decade ago where a powerful regime was challenged by a growing insurrection unleashing a civilian bloodbath and refugee outflow. Such a confrontation in beleaguered Myanmar is becoming possible as violence has not abated.

Sadly the U.N. Security Council has long been deadlocked on the Myanmar crisis and thus has not been able to exercise its mandate. As late as 2009 China and Russia used a rare double veto to stop a human rights resolution sponsored by the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Recent Security Council attempts to revive a Myanmar peace process have fallen on fallow ground.

In the months following the recent coup, China has offered predictable diplomatic support for its longtime ally in Myanmar. Nonetheless in the aftermath of the coup, which some observers say Beijing had a hand in, the Chinese communists now have become decidedly nervous that the Tatmadaw has still not fully consolidated political power and control inside Myanmar.

Interestingly Russia too has openly allied itself with Myanmar's Tatmadaw, sending high ranking military brass to lavish Army Day celebrations in March.

That may be one reason why U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated, "Today, ASEAN's role is more crucial than ever as the region faces an urgent crisis in Myanmar." He added that the U.N.'s special envoy for Myanmar stood ready to resume dialogue with the junta and "to contribute to a return of Myanmar to the democratic paths and to peace and stability."


Since the military coup Myanmar's popular democratically elected leader Aung San Su Kyi has been arrested and the parliament suspended. In the meantime a kind of "shadow government," known as the National Unity Government, said ASEAN's statement was "encouraging news." The democratic dissidents added, "We look forward to firm action by ASEAN to follow up its decisions and restore our democracy and freedom."

Returning to the Syria-style scenario for a moment let's look at what can happen. In 2017, the Myanmar government (then still led by civilians) began a systematic plan to expel members of the Muslim minority from the largely Buddhist country. Over 800,000 Rohingya were displaced and still largely live in squalid camps in neighboring Bangladesh.

Myanmar's population of 54 million is roughly double Syria's. Now imagine if the civil conflict expands; will large flows of refugees, many of them ethnic minorities, flee Myanmar into neighboring Thailand or India creating a humanitarian catastrophe?

Equally will an armed insurgency inside Myanmar expand seeing serious clashes between the opposition and the military? It's time for Myanmar to step back from the brink.


John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism ― The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China."


 
Top 10 Stories
1Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse
2Free subway rides for elderly emerge as headache for Seoul mayor Free subway rides for elderly emerge as headache for Seoul mayor
3Retailers return to Myeong-dong as more foreign tourists visit Retailers return to Myeong-dong as more foreign tourists visit
4Korea seeks measures to better protect foreign workers Korea seeks measures to better protect foreign workers
54 South Korean activists arrested for executing orders from Pyongyang 4 South Korean activists arrested for executing orders from Pyongyang
6President pledges support for Korean chipmakers to overcome crisis President pledges support for Korean chipmakers to overcome crisis
7Is non-consensual sex not rape? Is non-consensual sex not rape?
8Income gap widening among workers Income gap widening among workers
9Korea's presidential couple celebrates recovery of Cambodian boy who received heart surgery Korea's presidential couple celebrates recovery of Cambodian boy who received heart surgery
10Space industry takes off in South Jeolla ProvinceSpace industry takes off in South Jeolla Province
Top 5 Entertainment News
1[INTERVIEW] Production company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise INTERVIEWProduction company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise
2TWICE becomes first K-pop group to win Billboard Women in Music award TWICE becomes first K-pop group to win Billboard Women in Music award
3Cute canine film 'My Heart Puppy' reunites Yoo Yeon-seok, Cha Tae-hyun Cute canine film 'My Heart Puppy' reunites Yoo Yeon-seok, Cha Tae-hyun
4AmorePacific Museum of Art brings Joseon-era folding screens to center stage AmorePacific Museum of Art brings Joseon-era folding screens to center stage
5$120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing $120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group