ADUN SPEAKS | M'sia and Asean's silence on Myanmar army atrocities disappointing

ADUN SPEAKS | Myanmar’s junta is becoming more violent in cracking down pro-democracy protests in the country. According to the United Nations (UN), at least 18 people have been killed and dozens injured in the weekend crackdown against protesters. 

The army is increasing the violence to silence the people who want democracy restored in Myanmar.

Malaysia is still silent on the violent crackdown in Myanmar, and has deported at least a thousand undocumented migrants to the country. This is not only disappointing but disturbing. 

Silence is not golden in this matter; Malaysia should speak against the violence unleashed on the people of Myanmar. Seeking democracy restoration is not a crime that deserves an "on the spot" death penalty.

What is the foreign minister doing now other than "claiming credit" for the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines? Hours since the deadliest crackdown in Myanmar, the UN secretary-general, US secretary of state and scores of people have condemned the junta’s crackdown; but no single comment from Malaysia on the issue? 

The Perikatan Nasional government is seemingly endorsing the coup in Myanmar by not condemning the coup or violence. This is not the Malaysia that it used to be. Malaysia played a major role in bringing Myanmar onto the path of democratisation, with continued engagement with the junta in the past.

Previously, it spoke up against Myanmar’s human rights record. In 1992, then foreign minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi raised his concern against Myanmar’s desire to join the Asean ministerial meeting as a guest. Abdullah pointed out that Myanmar’s credential on human rights and freedom was bad. 

Twenty years ago, when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister, he told the junta leaders that “Myanmar had become an embarrassment to Asean”, and called on the junta to return the country to the path of democracy.

Today, neither Malaysia nor Asean is taking an approach to restrain the junta on the crackdown against democracy. Myanmar’s admission into Asean at one point was to bring the isolated country into the diplomatic circle, to lead it towards democracy. 

Today, when democracy is blatantly assaulted by the junta and pro-democracy protesters are treated with violence, the regional organisation is silent. A month after the coup, there has been no notable development to pressure the junta.

While it is understandable that Asean has a non-intervention policy, it cannot be an excuse forever. One of the largest economic region in the world, Asean has centred itself as a reliable regional organisation in the international community.

But its silence on such developments is slowly making it an increasingly obsolete organisation. While some Asean countries like Indonesia and Singapore have spoken out individually on the issue, the regional organisation’s failure to collectively address the issue is alarming. Is Asean as a region, endorsing undemocratic forces?

While expelling Myanmar from Asean is still a far fetched idea, the least that can be done by the organisation is to sanction the coup leaders. If Asean moves to sanction the junta leaders, it will pave the way for the latter's delegitimisation and will increase the pressure to free the country from the clutches of tyranny. 

Asean has an important role to bring democracy back to Myanmar, and it should not be ignored anymore.

Malaysia and Asean should condemn the recent violence against pro-democracy protesters. Silence is not an option for both Malaysia and Asean in the recent developments in Myanmar.

SATEES MUNIANDY is the state assemblyperson for Bagan Dalam and DAP socialist youth international secretary. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.