UN Security Council discusses Myanmar, but generals don’t fear sanctions

A spokesperson for China at the United Nations said the country hopes all parties in Myanmar put the interests of the people first and engage in dialogue to express their differences. “Everything the Security Council does must focus on Myanmar’s political and social stability and not increase tensions.”

Meanwhile, Western countries are not left out. The United States has blacklisted senior officers, a number of Myanmar ministries and military trade conglomerates. Also the EU prepare the sanctions.

But the impact of these measures will be disappointing, as the United States and the EU are not very large trading partners of Myanmar. China is, but this country keeps its powder dry. But we must act quickly, thinks Van den Assum. “If China doesn’t come up with anything now, that would be serious.”

What is the region doing?

What about other Southeast Asian countries? Traditionally they interfere rather not with everyone’s internal affairs. No wonder if you consider that of the ten countries in Southeast Asia, two are led by military personnel after a coup, two countries are communist and do not have elections, in two countries one party has been in power for over twenty years and a country is an absolute monarchy, he said Bloomberg News Agency sure. Only the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia have had a peaceful transfer of power from one party to another in recent years.

It is no coincidence that these three countries, plus Singapore, also called on Myanmar on Tuesday to release Aung San Suu Kyi and restore democracy.