Myanmar coup: as the military’s patience wears thin, a call to prevent further bloodshed
- Three weeks after the February 1 coup, nations around the world are no closer to a consensus on how to get the generals to back down
- Sanctions won’t work, diplomacy clearly has limits and the urgent task at hand is to encourage restraint from both protesters and the Tatmadaw, experts say
Late on Sunday, state-run broadcaster MRTV broadcast a statement in Burmese, with English subtitles on the screen, saying that “protesters are now inciting the people, especially emotional teenagers and youths, to a confrontation path where they will suffer the loss of life”.
Three protesters have been killed in clashes with police, while one policeman has died. Authorities have detained 640 people since the coup, according to the monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Those targeted include railway workers, civil servants and bank staff who have walked off their jobs as part of the anti-coup campaign.
Three weeks after Myanmar’s experiment with democracy ended and the military regime took power, nations around the world are no closer to arriving at a consensus on how to get the generals to back down. The US imposed new sanctions on the regime, with Germany and the European Union threatening to follow suit, but in Asia, experts say this will not make a difference.
And with the regime making clear that it will not shy away from lethal force, they agree the limits of diplomacy are becoming increasingly clear and instead, the focus now should be on preventing an escalation of violence.
Retired Singapore ambassador-at-large Bilahari Kausikan said there was not much that the regional and community could do beyond expressions of concern and “diplomatic scurrying about to give the appearance of action.”