Financial squeeze on Myanmar junta may be on the cards

THE watered-down resolution from the UN Security Council last week on the ongoing army-led violence on unarmed protesters in Myanmar is probably as much as could have been expected.

The British-initiated draft ran into objections from China, Russia and India - each with its own reason for not backing an outright condemnation of the military coup. Beijing has always preferred military rule in Myanmar to any noisy political system that left elected leaders accountable to the voters. Russia hardly has any interest in South-east Asia but probably fell in with its allies in Beijing as a show of solidarity. India wants to keep its lines with the junta open, worried that the trickle of refugees across their 1,600km common border might turn into a flood as happened with Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh in 2015.

Britain originally proposed a condemnation of the military coup and the prospect of "possible further measures" - diplomat-speak for sanctions. Now, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the Security Council statement would push the military to realise it is "absolutely essential" that all prisoners are released and that the results of the November election are respected. The resolution expressed deep concern at restrictions on medical personnel, civil society, trade union members, journalists and media workers. There was a call for the immediate release of all who have been detained arbitrarily.