Criticizes Russia And China's Stance On Military Coup, EU Ready To Increase Investment In Myanmar

Illustration of the European Union. (Wikimedia Commons/Håkan Dahlström)

JAKARTA - European Union diplomat Josep Borrell criticized Russia and China's stance in connection with Myanmar's military coup on Sunday. He said the attitude of the two countries hampered the international reaction to the ongoing coup.

"It's no surprise that Russia and China blocked U.N. Security Council efforts, for example, to impose an arms embargo," Borrell, who serves as the European Union's foreign policy chief, told Reuters on Monday.

"Geopolitical competition in Myanmar will make it very difficult to find a meeting point. But, we have an obligation to try," said Borrell, who speaks on behalf of the 27 EU member states.

Myanmar's police and military have killed more than 700 unarmed protesters, including 46 children, since the military seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in a February 1 coup, according to a tally by activists of the Aid Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

That includes 82 people killed in Bago City, near Yangon, Myanmar on Friday, which AAPP called a 'killing field'.

"The world is watching in horror because the army is using violence against its own people," Borrell said.

China and Russia both have ties to Myanmar's armed forces, as the country's first and second-largest arms suppliers.

The EU itself is preparing new sanctions for Myanmar military-owned individuals and companies. Last March, the European Union approved 11 sanctions against individuals linked to the coup, including Myanmar military regime leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Nevertheless, Borrell said the EU could offer improved economic cooperation with Myanmar if democracy in the country recovers. Although, currently the economic influence of the European Union in Myanmar is relatively small.

"That could include more trade and investment in sustainable development," Borrell said.

By comparison, EU foreign direct investment in Myanmar amounted to approximately US$700 million in 2019. Meanwhile, the amount of Chinese direct investment in Myanmar in the same period reached about 19 billion U.S. dollars.

Myanmar Coup. The VOI editorial team continues to monitor the political situation in that one of the ASEAN member countries. Casualties from civilians continue to fall. Readers can follow the news covering the Myanmar military coup by clicking this link.