Developing a Treaty Framework for the Creation of the Nonaligned Movement in the Perspective of the Union of Burma
The Union of Burma has a reputation of being a quintessential nonaligned political entity due to its experiences in the path towards British decolonization and political independence. Also, the Union expresses its extreme opposition to the external policies of the United States’ government. Currently, Burma (Myanmar) is seeking support from other political players for maintaining its economic, political, and social sustainability while opposing communism and neo-colonial capitalism.
Despite the fact that the Union of Burma separated from the nonaligned movement back in September 1979, the current situation in the country points to the need to reevaluate its views on the matter (Misra, 2007). The purpose of the nonaligned movement is to ensure the independence of member-nations, their geographic integrity, and military security. At the moment, there is a list of issues that Myanmar is facing and for which its government deserves some criticism.
For instance, the Rohingya refugee crisis has captured worldwide attention because of the mistreatment of the Muslim ethnic minority in Myanmar. This is likely to be fixed through negotiations between the Rohingya minority group and the government, as well as the involvement of independent stakeholders (possible members of the nonaligned movement).
Also, the ‘return’ of the American government to engage in East Asian affairs means that Myanmar is expected to find itself in the center of political opposition between the US and China (Fiori & Passeri, 2015). Because of this, the government of Myanmar needs to consider entering a non-alignment agreement with other players to make sure that its political and economic integrity does not suffer.
Myanmar is expected to benefit from a treaty to create a nonaligned movement because the framework implies settlements of international and other disputes with the help of peaceful negotiations, which is an essential factor when it comes to conflict resolution between opposing parties. As a rule, developing a treatise framework for the non-alignment for the Union of Burma will mean that the country will participate in the promotion of interests with member-nations and, therefore, will be forced to respect ideas of justice when it comes to domestic and international obligations. It can be hypothesized that Myanmar cannot consider itself in a favorable social, political, and economic position, which means that it is high time to consider entering a non-alignment movement that will be more likely to support the country in its struggles.
The position in support of the treaty framework that will facilitate the creation of a non-alignment movement is based on the idea that the Union of Burma will not be able to act independently when it comes to making major decisions concerning political relationships between countries. With the increased attention of the US to East Asian affairs and the well-known opposition of Myanmar to the nature of American politics, it is essential for the country to seek support from the non-alignment movement.
It is important to note that without outside support, the country will be more likely to become an involuntary member in the political opposition between China and the United States and therefore, will be unable to focus on its domestic issues such as the mistreatment of ethnic minority groups or boosting economic development. It is proposed for the Union of Burma to reevaluate its views on the non-alignment movement, which is abandoned, to ensure sustainable growth and compliance with global standards.
References
Fiori, A., & Passeri, A. (2015). Hedging in search of a new age of non-alignment: Myanmar between China and the USA. The Pacific Review, 28(5), 679-702.
Misra, K. (2007). Burma’s farewell to the nonaligned movement. Asian Affairs, 12(1), 49-56.