WASHINGTON (AP) – A military coup in Myanmar and a massive crackdown on dissidents in Russia present first evidence for the Biden administration as it seeks to restore U.S. primacy as a pro-democracy world leader.
After taking office with a commitment to restore iron and U.S. support for human rights, freedom of speech, and political openness, President Joe Biden faces two serious two-part challenges. of the world that had been neglected or the object of inconsistent messages. during the Trump era.
After investing decades of time, energy and money in promoting democracy in both Myanmar and Russia, the United States now faces challenges in each of which could affect the global balance of power, with the turmoil in Myanmar which can strengthen the hand of China.
And while neither situation can be directly linked to U.S. domestic political uncertainty, experts believe foreign governments could be signaling vestiges of U.S. perception of fear in the last months of the mandate. of President Donald Trump.
“It’s not always about us,” said Dan Fried, a former European American diplomat. “Everyone has their own dynamics, but they certainly take clues. What unites the two is that during the campaign, Biden’s team talked about supporting democracy as a pole star, a guiding point for democracy.
Biden’s aides have rejected suggestions that the January 6 insurgency in the Trump-driven Capitol at the Capitol will hurt American influence in the long run. But they have recognized it as a factor, as Biden is trying to reaffirm American moral leadership after four years of perceiving Trump’s difference.
“The United States is still a country in the world that is looking for … leadership, and it will take some time, but it is certainly committed to doing so,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.
He spoke after Biden issued a statement saying he would be considering reinstating sanctions on Myanmar, also known as Burma, which had been lifted after the country’s partial return to democracy during the Obama administration.
“The United States eliminated sanctions on Burma over the last decade on the basis of progress toward democracy,” Biden said. “Reversing this progress will require an immediate review of our laws and sanctioning authorities, followed by appropriate action. The United States will defend democracy wherever it is attacked.”
In Myanmar, the army took control of the government after a brief experiment with a limited democracy, the arrest of former opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the possibility of China opening up even greater potential to a neighboring country where the West had exerted a great deal of effort. to clarify the significant influence of Beijing.
“This is a setback for Myanmar and for democratic governance across Asia,” said Danny Russel, former deputy secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, who is now vice president of international security and diplomacy at the ‘Asia Society Policy Institute. “It’s part of an unfortunate slide into authoritarianism and it’s quite worrying. It’s a terrible example for other countries.”
“It is certainly an initial crisis for the Biden administration, and it really crystallizes the contrast between its support for democracy and Chinese support for authoritarianism,” he said.
Tensions in Myanmar have been building for some time, but have been largely under the radar of a coronavirus-worried Washington after decades of public and private pressure on Yangon to institute democratic reforms.
In Russia, despite Trump’s political machinations, the situation has been in a slow phase of turmoil for some years after attempts to lure Moscow to the democratic fold since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union . Being harder to face the Russians.
There, President Vladimir Putin uses an iron fist to try to quell demonstrations in support of opposition figure Alexei Navalny, flying at warnings from Washington and Europe.
“It’s a challenge for Biden, but they don’t directly challenge him,” said Fried, who is now in the Atlantic Council. He said sanctions may not be effective in the long run, but they will receive attention. “They could do more,” he said. “It would be appropriate and send a message to Russian society that Americans are not stupid, that they know what’s going on.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview on Monday that new sanctions against Russia are being considered, not only for Navalny’s crackdown, but also for a major cyberattack, electoral interference and alleged rewards on offer. to the Taliban to target U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
“We’re studying all of these things,” Blinken told NBC News. “Everyone is under review. And based on the conclusions of these reviews, we will take steps to defend our interests and oppose aggressive Russian actions. “