In a move widely condemned as a farce, Min Aung Hlaing, architect of Myanmar’s 2021 military coup and former leader of the military junta, formally assumed the country’s supposedly civilian presidency in April following a sham election (read more). Held in only a third of the country and excluding major opposition parties, the “election” was globally denounced as a sham, an attempt to legitimise illegal military rule. Critics warn that any international engagement with the regime now risks validating its anti-democratic grip on power.
The military’s consolidation of power comes as Myanmar’s economy spirals further into collapse and its people endure a deepening humanitarian crisis. For the pro-democracy movement, this moment demands urgent international action, including stronger sanctions, to cut off the junta’s financial and political lifelines.
A regime built on repression
Since the February 1, 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military has unleashed brutal repression against opposition and trade unions, dismantled the economy, and fuelled a humanitarian catastrophe. Development economist Jared Bissinger, speaking to DVB News, attributed the country’s economic freefall to the junta’s disastrous mismanagement:
“What Myanmar has experienced post-coup is the direct result of economic policies that have driven so much of the country’s decline. These policies aren’t going away… What we’re seeing now is their inevitable outcome.”
The military’s so-called election, with no representation of opposition parties and staged amid ongoing bombing, has deepened the crisis and repression, further isolating the regime from the very people it is now claiming to represent.
Diplomatic engagement risks legitimising the regime
While regional bodies like ASEAN have called for prisoner releases, including that of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi, critics argue that any diplomatic or economic engagement with the junta risks normalising its illegitimate rule.
Htwe Htwe Thein, an associate professor at Curtin University, warned that international silence could be misinterpreted as acceptance of Min Aung Hlaing’s presidency:
“While it may appear to be a civilian government, it is civilian in name only,” she told ABC News. “People might see images of parliament in session and think, ‘Good enough.’ But this is not democracy, it’s dictatorship dressed in civilian clothes.”
Yet, as the junta continues its aerial bombings of civilian areas, Thein’s call for Min Aung Hlaing’s first act to be ending the violence has been ignored.
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA is part of the Myanmar Campaign Network – an Australian national coalition comprised of human rights organisations, international aid NGOs, trade unions, faith-based organisations, and Myanmar diaspora organisations. The Myanmar Campaign Network is urging the Australian Government to impose stronger sanctions against military leaders and military-linked entities. They are also calling on Australia to refuse to recognise the sham elections and recognise the National Unity Government (NUG) as the legitimate civilian representatives.