As we have been reporting in the Trends Journal, tens of thousands of protesters, ranging from students to government workers, have been taking to the streets in Myanmar (“Burma” is the name of this country that is recognized diplomatically by the U.S.) demanding the military release leader Aung San Suu Kyi and hand back power it seized in a coup earlier this month.
The protests continue, and it is reported that law enforcement in the country used rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse protesters gathered throughout Yangon, the country’s largest city.
Protesters raised three-finger salutes, which were embraced by protesters last year in Thailand as a symbol of resistance. The protesters carried placards that read, “Reject the military coup” and “Justice for Myanmar.”
President Biden called on the military in Myanmar to “relinquish the power it seized and demonstrate respect for the will of the people.”
Biden imposed sanctions on the country’s military last Wednesday and signed an executive order targeting ten current and retired leaders.
“The people of Burma are making their voices heard, and the world is watching. Will be ready to impose additional measures, and we’ll continue to work with our international partners to urge other nations to join us in these efforts,” Biden said.
Putting a dollar sign on the sanctions, President Biden continued, “The U.S. government is taking steps to prevent the generals from improperly having access to the one billion dollars in Burmese government funds held in the United States.”
As we had forecast in the Trend Journal last week:
The military will quash the protests, and U.S. and ally sanctions will have a minor impact on a nation that has strong economic and geopolitical bonds with neighboring China.
Already, they are stifling dissent, banning large gatherings, and having increased nighttime arrests. Those accused of spreading dissent online or “by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation” will be locked up.
Min Aung Hlaing, the military leader who has taken control of the country, blamed “unscrupulous persons” for the protests.
As reported yesterday by the BBC, Myanmar’s military website said that people preventing the security forces from carrying out their duties could face 20 years in prison, while those found to stir up fear or unrest in public could be imprisoned for terms of three to seven years.
The military also warned journalists to not describe the military’s takeover as a “coup.”
TREND FORECAST: We maintain our forecast that military rule will continue in Myanmar and threats by the U.N., the United States, and other nations will achieve nothing in terms of bringing so-called “Democracy” to Myanmar.
Furthermore, the harder outside countries pressure the Myanmar government – be they in sanctions or supporting rebel movements – the greater the ruling government will strengthen its ties with its Chinese neighbor.
While the media reports on the current brutal conditions being imposed on the nation by its military, long forgotten and never mentioned is how the nation was savagely colonized by the British for over 100 years (1824-1948).
