Block 6
In February of 2021, Myanmar’s government was overthrown by the military, which in turn arrested anybody it deemed as “opposing” their new rule. Foreign citizens were included in the mass arresting of thousands. Just recently, mid-November of 2022, almost 6000 people are being released. These numbers including the former UK Ambassador to Myanmar Vicky Bowman, Japanese Filmmaker Toru Kubota, and Sean Turnell an Australian citizen, whom was a policy advisor to Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
The releasing of these prisoners shows the possibility to get more of the foreign prisoners, many journalists, freed. Myanmar has been at bad tensions with many foreign countries as a result of the mass kidnapping of foreign citizens, who if committed a criminal act should have been sent back to their countries to be tried. With the release of these prisoners Myanmar is going to be bettering its relations with the rest of the world. This move also possibly shows some attempt at organisation in the current tangle of problems in Myanmar, which so far has been little to none. Though there are still thousands of prisoners, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners stated more than 13,000 remain in detention, only 1,648 serving convicted sentences. The government in Myanmar, still non-existent, leaves the nation in a free for all & worse a humanitarian nightmare.
Connecting this event to class and International relations, it can be said that Myanmar foreign relations as a result of this release are looser. Although now with a piece of the pie, the rest of the world is likely to try and find a way to release all the foreign prisoners, but just finding a solution for the collective goods problem that will come out of it, what will the Burmese military leaders want in exchange for the release of more prisoners? From a defensive realists mindset, it could be said that holding so many prisoners only makes Myanmar’s financial problems worse. From an offensive realists mindest, the Burmese military leaders, will in order to get more power and control, make lofty deals in order to benefit the most. The only hope for the foreign countries needing to get their prisoners freed, is if the Burmese military doesn’t make big requests that can’t and will not be fueled, but logically, that is what is most likely to happen first as a result of an uneducated military government.