USING THE LADY: Myanmar junta’s chess moves seek to maintain grip on power
Mizzima Myanmar News and InsightAug 01, 2023
Myanmar's former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been pardoned for five of her 19 charges by the state's military as part of an amnesty granted to over 7K prisoners to mark Buddhist Lent.
Suu Kyi's 33-year jail sentence will now be reduced by 6 years. The 78-year old has been detained by Myanmar's military since she was removed during a coup in February 2021.
This is a merely cosmetic move. Suu Kyi continues to be used as a pawn at a time when the junta looks to consolidate and protect its illegitimate form of governance. The junta has continued to underestimate the support of democracy in Myanmar, and the people will not rest until the draconian era of military rule is ended.
While recent news surrounding Suu Kyi is a sign of hope, the reality is that Myanmar is currently headed toward a full-blown civil war. Countries such as the US continue to fund resistance forces — increasing the chances of widespread violence which will only impede the possibility of bloodshed being ended. Neighboring countries such as Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and China alongside the UN must do more to help broker peace in Myanmar, rather than allow the US to fund a proxy war which will only do harm to more civilians.