President Biden released a statement on Monday condemning the military coup in Myanmar, also known as Burma, and threatened to take action against those responsible.
Myanmar’s military seized power after claiming there was fraud in recent elections. The military detained senior political leaders, including Aung San Suu Ky, who served as the State Counsellor of Myanmar, the country’s de facto ruler.
In his statement, President Biden said the international community should come together and demand that Myanmar’s military “relinquish the power they have seized.”
“We will work with our partners throughout the region and the world to support the restoration of democracy and the rule of law, as well as to hold accountable those responsible for overturning Burma’s democratic transition,” the statement said.
Biden also threatened to reimpose sanctions on Myanmar. “The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy. The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action,” he said. The Obama administration started easing sanctions on Myanmar in 2011 and lifted all remaining sanctions in 2016.
Members of Congress are also calling for action. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NY) said the US and other countries “should impose strict economic sanctions, as well as other measures” against Myanmar’s military.
Senator Mitch McConnel (R-KY) called the situation in Myanmar “horrifying” and said the Biden Administration “must take a strong stand” against Myanmar’s military.
Since the Biden Administration is prioritizing Asia in its efforts to counter China, US media outlets are framing the events in Myanmar as a “test” for Biden to maintain US influence in that part of the world. For their part, China is taking a neutral stance on the situation in neighboring Myanmar.
“China is a friendly neighbor of Myanmar’s. We hope that all sides in Myanmar can appropriately handle their differences under the constitution and legal framework and safeguard political and social stability,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a news briefing on Monday.
Weak response from Biden, threatening Sanctions.
The USA sanctioned Myanmar for 20 years and failed to affect the Military Regime.
The Generals all became wealthy selling Myanmar’s riches on the Black Market and the people were subjugated horrifically.
“Subjugated horrifically”?
Flowery language sounds like propaganda. Myanmar is paying heavy price due to its location. All the ethnic strife has been stoked to prevent stability, and make it impossible for Myanmar and China to built transport infrastructure that both countries would benefit from.
I call horrific the deliberate fueling of ethnic strife. We here are not innocent.
We accepted Egypt’s military coup, and imprisonment of the elected President, most of his government, banishing his party, confiscating their property, and death sentenced for some.
Yet, civil war was averted by the military coup in Egypt returning the country to normalcy.
How do we know what is best for Myanmar?
China has a global non-meddling policy, while the US enjoys exercising its world hegemony in faraway places like Myanmar. For the US this means fomenting a coup as in Ukraine, and sometime opposing a coup. It also brings a general dislike of the US, and more favorable views of China especially in Asia.
“China has a global non-meddling policy”
In what universe?
The US historically fomented, caused and participated in government changes all over the world, including especially Latin America, Africa, Europe, Middle East and Asia. China never has.
That is another big lie, the Us spends more money on helping poor countries then anybody else without asking for anything back. Also now, US private donations to poor countries are even higher than Government money The US takes in over one million refugees and economic political immigrants then any other country. I also escaped the brutality of communism in the 1950’s and found freedom and prosperity in America.
Biden also threatened to reimpose sanctions on Myanmar. “The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy. The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action,” he said
If “progress towards democracy” is really the determining factor, this must mean the Saudis, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and even the recipient of the annual $3.8 billion, just to name a few, should be sanctioned immediately.
Our “friends” don’t need no stupid democracy.
The democracy BS is all hypocritical on the part of the US, as if the US were a democratic state. It isn’t. It is not “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.” US citizens have no say on anything. Other countries are somewhat democratic, and have referendums on important issues. The US does not. To the US, democracy is conceived as the granting to the people the availability to vote for one schmuck or another every four years, then sit down and shut up.
Unlike your lovethrobe Putin, talking about schmucks, the US does not poisen its political opponents and especially in the underpants..