What is happening in Myanmar?

Even though Myanmar has disappeared from the headlines in the media, it continues to suffer due to the crisis that broke out in 2021. We discussed this on Friday, August 23, at the Rimini Meeting, in a session organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The discussion was led by Nang Swesweaye, Country Representative for AVSI Foundation in Myanmar, Guido Calvi, AVSI's Humanitarian Coordinator, and Ranieri Sabatucci, the European Union Ambassador to Myanmar. Maria Laura Conte, Director of Strategic Communication and Advocacy at AVSI, moderated the meeting.

Since 2021, the people of Myanmar have been suffering the consequences of the military coup. “70% of the Burmese population lives in rural areas, where daily clashes and bombings force people to leave their homes to seek refuge near the forest - reported Nang Swesweaye -. The humanitarian needs are many. Several young people live in hiding to avoid being recruited by the army due to the martial law in the country. Internet connection is often interrupted, isolating us from the world. Prices are high, and lines to buy food are very long. I fear that finding food may become increasingly complex in the future.”

But this conflict, which seems far from over, is not being discussed on media. “It’s a paradox - commented Ranieri Sabatucci, the European Union Ambassador to Myanmar - a forgotten conflict is not a conflict that disappears, but one that leaves room for others to impose their own interests, which are often incompatible with those of the local populations.”

We are, in fact, talking about a geopolitically very interesting country, rich in natural resources such as wood and minerals, rare earth elements, and with a significant presence of European textile companies. In addition, Myanmar has an ancient culture, the result of a civilization dating back 2,500 years. But Myanmar, according to Sabatucci, is especially strategically relevant due to its relationship with China. Indeed, between 60% and 70% of Beijing's trade passes through the Strait of Malacca, a narrow waterway in the Indian Ocean that separates Malaysia from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This single access point represents a vulnerability for China, which is why, for some years now, Beijing has been trying to create a corridor that bypasses the strait, passing through Myanmar.

Therefore, according to the Ambassador, ignoring this country represents a double mistake: for the EU since it loses an important opportunity for influence, and for the Burmese people, who are victims of this situation.

“Before the coup, only 8% of the population relied on humanitarian aid. Today, - explained Sabatucci, - one in two people need it. The extreme poverty line is estimated by the World Bank to be around two dollars a day. In Myanmar, the average income is one dollar. This means that, even when you are lucky enough to work, you are still poorer than what is considered poor in the world. We are talking about an exhausted population, forgotten despite all its strategic, economic, and cultural importance.”

In this scenario, the international community remains divided, with the UN Security Council unable to take action, due to opposition from China and Russia.

Sabatucci concluded the event by urging international organizations and the European Union to remain in Myanmar to continue showing solidarity with the oppressed population. He also recalled a particularly moving episode where a young Burmese protester said that Myanmar's weakness lies in the inherent kindness of its people, their generosity, and tolerance. “This way of thinking must not prevail – stated the Ambassador -. We must not accept the idea that kindness is weakness in the face of the dictatorship's violence. Let's not allow the law of the jungle to become the law of international relations.”

AVSI has been present in Myanmar since 2007. As Guido Calvi, AVSI's Humanitarian Coordinator, explained, since 2021, AVSI has been engaged in emergency and development projects in the conflict-affected areas, focusing on education, protection, food security and livelihood, women's protection and empowerment, nutrition, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene access), and disaster risk reduction.