Irrawaddy-Nov 22
Myanmar’s generals have renewed their efforts to cozy up to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)—the China and Russia-led bloc they hope will provide diplomatic shade from the scorching heat of Western sanctions. At the SCO Forum on Sustainable Development in Moscow on Monday, Deputy Planning Minister Kyaw Htin solemnly declared that “no country can achieve sustainable development alone.” The irony was hard to miss: a regime that has spent nearly five years dismantling its own economy now insists that collective progress is the answer. Since his 2021 coup, Min Aung Hlaing has watched foreign embassies withdraw, sanctions pile up, and Myanmar’s key foreign currency banks sanctioned. One of his solutions is to seek refuge in the SCO’s embrace. Myanmar is now a dialogue partner, and Min Aung Hlaing is seeking full-fledged membership in the hope of rescuing an economy ruined by his coup. Back in September, SCO leaders railed against “powerful nations” they accused of bullying others with political and economic pressure. The junta, ever eager to play the victim, nodded along. Now, with its sham election looming, the regime is loudly advertising its SCO partnership—as if Moscow’s applause could lend a rubber-stamp poll international legitimacy. With barely a month left before his much-touted election, coup leader Min Aung Hlaing has again preached the virtues of nationalism. On November 14, at a Young Men’s Buddhist Association ceremony in Yangon, the general declared that modern nations prioritize nationalism above all else, insisting that “national spirit” is essential for prosperity. The following day in Karen State, he urged voters to choose candidates who would “defend race, religion, and the “Three Main National Causes”—a familiar refrain of Myanmar’s military rulers. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/specials/junta-watch/junta-seeks-sco-lifeline-in-moscow-after-crashing-economy-and-more.html
