The killing of four activists by the military regime last month dealt a heavy blow to the engagement with the junta in Myanmar, as various nations condemned the incident.
India expressed “deep concern'' over the executions. The only country to remain silent over it is China.
Myanmar military generals were denied permission to attend the 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting in Cambodia last week. The message was clear—the junta should make progress on the a 15-month-old plan proposed by members to solve the Myanmar crisis.
Cambodia Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn had recently said the junta “must act in a way that shows progress is made; then we will be able to act on a decision to show progress”.
This is not the first time that the junta has been banned from an ASEAN summit. However, the killing of the activists have hardened the stance of the member countries.
On July 25, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price had said, “ We are calling on countries around the world to do more. We will be doing more as well.” The US has made it clear that there can be “no business as usual'' with Myanmar.
Myanmar and Taiwan had come up at a meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Cambodia, on the sidelines of the ASEAN meet. The US said the Bliken condemned the killing, and the two leaders discussed “accountability for the regime’s atrocities as well as our collective efforts to put Burma back on the path to democracy''.
The Indian statement, however, did not mention Myanmar. It is no secret that the US has been exerting pressure on India on the issue of Myanmar. India did express “deep concern''. "We have noted these developments in Myanmar with deep concern. As a neighbouring country of Myanmar, we have always highlighted the need for a peaceful resolution to the issue," external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said at a weekly press briefing, responding to a question. "The rule of law and democratic process must be upheld. As a friend of the people of Myanmar, we will continue to support Myanmar's return to democracy and stability."
India will have to navigate this path carefully. The country has to do a balancing act to ensure that the junta is not froze out even as it makes sure New Delhi acts as the upholder of democratic values in South Asia. It is not an easy task. What makes it even tougher is that China has chosen to keep silent. There is also no doubt that the only country with leverage in Myanmar is China.
A factor that will certainly play in China's favour in the neighbourhood is Bangladesh asking Beijing to help with its Rohingya problem. The issue came up during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the country this weekend. "Our foreign minister strongly reiterated that Chinese cooperation is needed. China has progressed on resolving the Rohingya issue and we need the situation to come to an end," Shahriar Alam, deputy foreign minister of Bangladesh, has been quoted as saying.
China's strategic silence over the execution speaks volumes. While Yi has been quoted as saying that the internal challenges in Myanmar were hurting other countries, China still remains the only country to have chosen not to publicly condemn the junta over the execution
Despite the silence, China will be less than pleased with execution of the activists. The junta has chosen kill the activists, soon after Wang Yi publicly urged for a “rational consultation''. With the execution, the junta has chosen to push the issue.
