Myanmar junta thanks China, India as it growls over sanctions

Myanmar’s junta chief on Wednesday lashed out at countries for intervening in his country’s affairs while thanking others for “positively” co-operating, noting how it is working closely with neighbours such as China, India and Thailand.

The Southeast Asian country has faced international isolation and Western-led sanctions since the military seized power from a democratically elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi nearly two years ago.

“I want to say thank you to some international and regional countries and organisations and individuals who positively co-operated with us ... in the midst of all the pressure, criticisms and attacks,” Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech to mark Myanmar’s 75th independence day.

“We are closely working with neighbouring countries such as China, India, Thailand, Laos and Bangladesh. We will work together for border stability and development,” Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised speech from a national day parade in the capital Naypyitaw.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the army took power from Suu Kyi’s government on February 1 2021, detaining her and other officials and responding to prodemocracy protests and dissent with brutal force, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

While street protests are now rare after bloody crackdowns, the military is involved in almost daily clashes with minority ethnic forces and insecurity has spread to swathes of the country as members of a so-called People’s Defence Force have taken up arms to fight for a return to democracy.

Meanwhile, Suu Kyi was convicted of five counts of corruption late in 2022 and jailed for seven more years, wrapping up a marathon of trials condemned internationally as a sham designed to keep the junta’s biggest threat at bay amid widespread domestic resistance to its rule.

Suu Kyi is being held in a jail in Naypyitaw in solitary confinement and the military insists she has received due process by an independent court.

Authorities typically release some prisoners to mark the day when Myanmar declared independence from British rule. However, it was not immediately clear if the military would free any political detainees this time.

The US, the EU and countries such as Britain and Canada, have imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s military and individuals deemed to have helped the junta come to power.

In a further rebuke, the UN Security Council in December adopted its first resolution on Myanmar in 74 years, demanding an end to violence and for the junta to free all political detainees. Referring to international pressure, Min Aung Hlaing hit out at what he said are “disruptions from countries and organisations who want to intervene in Myanmar’s internal affairs”.

Still, the junta has maintained some international support. The UN Security Council remains split over how to deal with the Myanmar crisis, with China and Russia arguing against strong action. They both abstained from last month’s vote on a resolution, along with India.

Thailand hosted regional talks in December to discuss the crisis, including rare international appearances by junta ministers, even as several leading members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), vocal in their criticism of the junta, declined to attend.

Asean is leading diplomatic peace efforts and Myanmar’s generals have been barred from the bloc’s high-profile gatherings for failing to honour promises to start talks with opponents linked to Suu Kyi’s ousted government.

Reuters