Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55906536
In Myanmar, the military took over the government in response to Aung San Suu Kyi’s recent election win; that they claim to be fraudulent. The military, under commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing, has since declared a year-long state of emergency. Meanwhile, San Suu Kyi and members of her party are thought to be under house arrest. Her National League for Democracy has also demanded her release and for the military to accept the results of the election.
In response, medical staff plan to strike and activists are calling for a campaign of civil disobedience. This past Tuesday night, citizens blasted car horns and banged on kitchen pots as a sign of protest.
This could have lasting effects on Myanmar and the region. The US, the UK, the UN, and the EU have all openly condemned these actions. The Coup will likely be sanctioned, but there is no indication that the military would relinquish control.
Any sanctions employed by the US or others may be counteracted by the Chinese government. As an authoritarian regime, Myanmar being on the Chinese border and beginning to be more democratic to begin with doesn’t bode well. Although China has called for Myanmar to “resolve differences,” the government hasn’t spoken out against the coup itself.
In liberal theory, this concerns the US because Myanmar had one of the most democratic elections in years. In order to establish liberal democracy, peace depends on keeping countries democratic and not allowing them to fall into authoritarian patterns. However, this may not be the foreign policy methodology of the US, but that will be difficult to predict until the trends of President Biden are more established.
This creates an interesting dynamic between the US and China based on how each country decides to intervene. There is a possibility that the two powers will go head to head supporting their side, but this conflict has just begun and many details are yet to be known.