Topic:
Country: United Arab Emirates
Delegate Name: Connor Argenzio
United Nations Security Council
Situation in Myanmar
United Arab Emirates
Connor Argenzio, Forest Hills Northern High School
The relatively short lifespan of Myanmar can be best described as nothing short of tumultuous. Shortly after receiving its freedom from the dreadful shackles of imperialism, Myanmar was shaken by a coup. While the military junta still stands, it does so without impunity. The junta has faced various popular protests since its installment, the most impactful of which led to a democratic election in which the National League for Democracy won handily. Despite this overwhelming display of public opinion, the junta refused to accept the results and employed increasingly harsh measures to solidify their power. An election was again attempted in 2010, but the National League for Democracy refused to partake. Just as in 1990, the elections of 2015 resulted in a sure National League for Democracy victory; however, this time around, the junta did not contest the results. Unfortunately, like clockwork, history would repeat itself in 2020, in which the National League for Democracy would see success but would face brutal opposition from the junta. Most egregious, the junta would jail one of the most prominent members of the National League for Democracy, Aung, San Suu Kyi. These crackdowns faced swift international condemnation. This condemnation, like so many U.N. actions before it, accomplished absolutely nothing, only serving to waste everyone’s time. Let us not forget the millions of Myanmar citizens who have been displaced while the politicians play. Of course, elections are scheduled for the year 2023, yet free and fair elections seem to be a most dubious proposition at best.
The United Arab Emirates has recently worked to improve its diplomatic relations with the current Burmese administration as of 2020. Frankly, cooperation between the UAE and Myanmar would benefit both parties, and the UAE sees no reason to jeopardize this newfound trust. The UAE is confident that further cooperation between Myanmar and the UAE will benefit not only the people of each nation but Asia as a whole. To be frank, the UAE sees the council’s insistence upon democracy as an obvious example of a blatant western bias and disregard for the existence of alternative forms of government. Moreover, an essential aspect of our current international system is the national sovereignty of each party, the implicit agreement to leave domestic affairs to domestic means.
It is clear that the Burmese political system is not the concern of any party not of Burmese nationality; that is to say, it is not the business of any other country aside from Myanmar. It is not for the U.N. to say how a country should run its government. The United States has already shown the folly of that approach. Ultimately, the decision on the legitimacy of the election or the junta as a whole can and will be decided by the Burmese people, not the Security Council.
