Advertisement
Opinion | Why has the West given Ukraine billions in military aid, but virtually ignored Myanmar?
- The US alone committed about US$50 billion in total help to Ukraine in 2022, about half of which was military aid
- If a fraction of the support to Ukraine was provided to Myanmar’s resistance fighters, they would have the chance to build a democratic state in the heart of Asia
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
17
Two years after Myanmar’s coup on February 1, 2021, the country’s large and growing resistance forces receive almost no attention outside the country.
Advertisement
The democratic opposition, fronted by the National Unity Government (NUG), but comprising many different groups, armies, militias and individuals, has also struggled to gain awareness, even for its substantial battlefield successes.
And perhaps most notably, the opposition’s pleas for weapons from the West to fight against an increasingly brutal crackdown by the military junta have gone unheeded.
The difference with the West’s response to Ukraine’s war against Russia could not be more stark. While the two conflicts are not completely analogous, it is nonetheless striking how much Ukraine has galvanised the international community, while Myanmar has almost completely been ignored.
03:33
Myanmar under the military junta 2 years on: Thousands dead, economy in shambles, future uncertain
Myanmar under the military junta 2 years on: Thousands dead, economy in shambles, future uncertain
No charismatic, wartime figure
Part of this has to do with the visibility of a central, iconic leader. With ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other public figures locked up, Myanmar’s resistance forces have no recognisable public face.
Advertisement
Advertisement