WASHINGTON (AP) – A military coup in Myanmar and a massive repression of dissidents in Russia offer early tests for the Biden government as it seeks to restore US supremacy as a global pro-democracy leader.
After taking office with the promise of restoring American iron for human rights, freedom of speech and political openness, President Joe Biden is faced with two serious challenges in two different parts of the world that have been neglected or the subject of inconsistent messages. during the Trump era.
After investing decades of time, energy and money to promote democracy in both Myanmar and Russia, the US now faces challenges that could affect the global balance of power, with the unrest in Myanmar potentially strengthening China’s hand.
And while neither of the two situations can be directly linked to domestic political uncertainty in the United States, experts believe that foreign governments in the last months of President Donald Trump’s clues can be used from the remnants of American immobility.
“It’s not always about us,” said Dan Fried, a former U.S. diplomat for Europe. ‘Everyone has their own dynamics, but they definitely take clues from us. What connects the two is that the Biden team spoke during the campaign about supporting democracy as a North Star – a guideline for democracy. ”
Biden’s assistants have rejected proposals that the January 6 uprising at the Capitol fueled by Trump would harm American influence in the long run. But they recognized it as a factor as Biden sought to reaffirm American moral leadership after four years of Trump’s alleged differences.
“The United States remains a country in the world that is being sought … leadership, and it’s going to take a while, but he’s definitely committed to it,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday about Biden.
She spoke after Biden issued a statement saying he was going to look at the resumption of sanctions against Myanmar, also known as Burma, which was lifted after the country’s partial return to democracy during the Obama administration.
“The United States has removed sanctions against Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy,” Biden said. ‘The reversal of progress requires an immediate review of our sanctions laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action. The United States will stand up for democracy, wherever it is attacked. ”
In Myanmar, the army takes over the government after a brief experiment with limited democracy, the detention of former opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and China offers greater potential in a neighboring country where the West has made great efforts to thwart Beijing’s significant influence.
“This is a setback for Myanmar and for democratic government in Asia,” said Danny Russel, a former assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific. He is currently Vice President of International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute. ‘It’s part of an unfortunate move towards authoritarianism and it’s quite worrying. This sets a horrible example for other countries. ”
“This is definitely an early crisis for the Biden government, and it has crystallized the contrast between its support for democracy and Chinese support for authoritarianism,” he said.
Tensions in Myanmar have been rising for some time, but are largely under the radar of a Washington that has been battling the coronavirus after decades of public and private pressure on Yangon to institute democratic reforms.
Despite Trump’s political reservations, the situation in Russia slowly boiled over for several years after attempts to pull Moscow in the democratic direction, beginning with the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. It will be more difficult to confront the Russians.
There, President Vladimir Putin uses an iron fist to try to suppress demonstrations in support of opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who is flying in the face of warnings from Washington and Europe.
“It’s a challenge for Biden, but they are not directly challenging him,” said Fried, who is now with the Atlantic Council. He said that sanctions in the long run may not be effective, but that it will receive attention. “They can do more,” he said. “It would be appropriate, and it would send a message to Russian society that the Americans are not stupid, that they know what’s going on.”
Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said in an interview on Monday that new sanctions against Russia were being considered, not only for the Navalny repression, but also for a major cyber attack, election interference and alleged rewards given to the Taliban were offered to target US troops in Afghanistan.
“We’re looking at all this stuff,” Blinken told NBC News. ‘Everyone is currently being reviewed. And depending on the findings of the reviews, we will take steps to stand up for our interests and against Russian aggressive action. ”