World must tread softly with Myanmar
There is no room for empty promises as people are displaced due to violence
The US and the rest of the world must tread softly while entertaining Myanmar’s President Thein Sein as the latter reaches out seeking acceptability into the global mainstream.
On Monday, President Sein became the first leader from his country to visit the White House in nearly 50 years, but any business conducted with him must be done after appropriate caveats are put in place. While Sein has steered Myanmar down the path of economic and political reform, grave injustices and human rights abuses are still being carried out against Muslim communities, especially the Rohingyas. If Myanmar’s security forces, which once effectively muzzled an entire nation, allow these acts to go unchecked and, sometimes even participate in these violations, then there is a danger of the country sliding back into the cocoon of the past. The message must be driven home that while the world is willing to welcome Myanmar back into its fold, it will do so with cautious optimism and impose a system of checks and balances in order to ensure that the government’s actions of promoting greater inclusiveness speaks louder than its words. Mechanisms for greater accountability must also be put into place.
There must be no room for empty promises while people are being displaced due to the mindless violence that is directed against them. Granted, Myanmar has launched a process of democratisation, but the time has come to pick up pace.
