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Interview
Nationwide Unity Authorities international minister Daw Zin Mar Aung. / The Irrawaddy
By The Irrawaddy 1 April 2022
Difficult the regime’s legitimacy at dwelling and overseas, Myanmar’s shadow Nationwide Unity Authorities (NUG) international minister Daw Zin Mar Aung, 45, has engaged with international governments and parliaments, worldwide support companies and Myanmar’s many armed teams.
Nevertheless, the elected lawmaker from the ousted Nationwide League for Democracy and winner of the 2012 Worldwide Girls of Braveness Award mentioned worldwide help is basically restricted to ethical help.
She solely tells The Irrawaddy concerning the significance of worldwide help, together with funding and arms, Myanmar’s buddies and foes and the way it receives completely different remedy from Ukraine.
It has been greater than a 12 months because the revolution towards army rule was launched. We heard the revolution has obtained no help from international international locations. Why is that?
It’s primarily as a result of the worldwide neighborhood regards the disaster as a home concern if we evaluate it with the Ukraine battle. It’s extensively believed that international locations shouldn’t intervene in home affairs.
In diplomatic relations, they have interaction not with governments however with states. They acknowledge Myanmar as a sovereign state. Of their view, what is occurring between the SAC (State Administration Council), the NUG and the folks is a home affair. They morally help us. Nations that help democracy help us diplomatically however that turns into an impediment to offering sensible help.
The junta has proven its cruelty however does the worldwide neighborhood assume its atrocities are usually not critical sufficient to justify motion?
Some international locations have an abiding curiosity in Myanmar. That’s why there have been prosecutions for genocide towards the Rohingya.
Governments, particularly European Union member states and the US, are conscious of that concern over the past 5 years.
They’ve burdened the central position of ASEAN, contemplating the strategic significance of Myanmar. China, Japan, the EU and US have burdened ASEAN’s centrality. They’re searching for methods to keep away from battle between larger powers due to Myanmar.
Many international locations, together with the US, endorse ASEAN’s centrality. However ASEAN nonetheless can not act. And it’s totally on good phrases with the regime. The US backs ASEAN although it’s conscious it gained’t achieve success. What may Washington do?
Whereas the US considers ASEAN as an preliminary step, we can not reject it fully. However the US ought to take into consideration a Plan B in case that method doesn’t work. Now we have all the time referred to as for an modern method. The worldwide neighborhood shouldn’t use Twentieth-century definitions of sovereignty and diplomatic relations to deal with Myanmar in a Twenty first-century context.
It will possibly not use outdated strategies to method Myanmar. It has been confirmed in earlier a long time that the outdated approaches had been unsuccessful. And ASEAN alone can not deal with Myanmar’s crises.
ASEAN and US envoys ought to work collectively. Because the EU has appointed a brand new envoy, we now have instructed that these envoys ought to collaborate and take a extra modern method.
What worldwide help would you wish to have for the resistance motion?
Now we have labored to disrupt the money move to the regime to forestall it from procuring weapons with some success. The US, UK and EU have cooperated in imposing focused financial sanctions towards military-linked firms and cronies.
We’re working to get extra information from regional international locations. Now we have requested monetary establishments in Singapore to cease money move to the regime and to not enable it to make use of its ports to import aviation gas.
Now we have to proceed to push regional international locations to collaborate with us. It’s unlikely we’ll obtain arms from them. We is not going to obtain help like Ukraine. For now, we will solely count on diplomatic recognition and diplomatic help.
Would you like weapons?
Lengthy earlier than the battle in Ukraine, we had been asking for help to ease our folks’s struggling. If we may get a small proportion of weapons going to Ukraine, it might assist overthrow the dictatorship.
However folks will undergo extra if we simply stand by. Now we have advised different international locations to ship weapons in the event that they don’t wish to see 1000’s being killed and their houses destroyed.
We are saying issues will intensify in the event that they don’t help us. We have interaction repeatedly with the worldwide neighborhood and ask what Myanmar’s folks want in the course of the revolution. On daily basis we’re interested by how we will bypass restrictions and meet our month-to-month necessities [for arms and ammunition].
The US says it stands with Myanmar’s folks however its actions are restricted to sanctions. It imposed sanctions towards earlier army regimes. Sanctions don’t assist the revolution. How has the revolution been harmed by a scarcity of worldwide help?
We’re in dire want [of support]. We’re prepared to just accept no-strings-attached help from any nation. Nations have to contemplate different actors, like large powers and how you can maintain the worldwide steadiness.
We strain them utilizing any means. We’ll work on our personal if we can not obtain worldwide help. Individuals have been preventing for greater than a 12 months. We didn’t assume that folks may endure this a lot. We’ll proceed to endure with nice resilience and alternatives will come to us if we maintain doing our job.
The NUG nonetheless wants official recognition to draw monetary help. How can the NUG obtain this?
The NUG was fashioned final April. We’re holding an inner evaluation to strengthen numerous areas, from media engagement to public relations.
We’re as keen because the folks to finish this revolution. Diplomacy performs an essential position. We’ll attempt to enhance digital and in-person engagement.
Some US analysts say public relations [PR] ought to play an essential position for the NUG to achieve worldwide help. What’s the NUG doing for PR?
We settle for that we now have a weak spot in PR. We’re reviewing how we will have interaction higher with the media and focus teams. Some messages which had been imagined to be saved inner had been made public and different public statements weren’t launched. So we try to enhance our engagement.
How concerning the US$1 billion in frozen property within the US? Can the NUG get that cash?
Now we have fashioned a committee to get again that cash. It’s headed by the finance minister with officers from the international ministry and different departments. The committee watches US coverage and sees if it might safe the cash. We don’t wish to waste power on issues that we will’t obtain. It is determined by how a lot the US acknowledges our capability. The sensible query is about how we handle our funds. Now we have launched a finances assertion as a part of our measures to recede the $1 billion.
Would the NUG get the cash whether it is acknowledged because the reputable authorities?
There was some progress from the US. The Nationwide Protection Authorization Act consists of provisions to assist NUG acquire legitimacy. We’re making our case primarily based on that.
Does the NUG have a protection finances goal?
We will’t disclose particulars as a result of the regime will disrupt us. As a revolutionary authorities, we now have to offer the lion’s share of the finances to protection.
We’re embarrassed and sorry to ask for donations from the folks. However we now have to maintain asking for donations, particularly from expats.
There are nonetheless rich folks inside Myanmar. In the event that they be part of us, it’s going to assist funds move. We proceed to mobilize funds by promoting bonds and dealing to get the $1 billion again.
The extra funds we now have, if we will handle it successfully, the earlier the revolution will succeed and the earlier the struggling will finish. We try our greatest.
What different outgoings does the NUG have?
Apart from armaments, we’re funding a defectors’ program. Monetary support may even pay for humanitarian help and assist put the nation on the trail to federalism.
Australia has provided asylum to placing junta personnel. What else is the NUG doing to supply incentives to spice up the revolution?
If somebody defects, we attempt to present safety for them and their household, and we pay for transport and different prices. The burden turns into heavier as time passes.
Our finances may be very restricted. Now we have requested different international locations to supply asylum to supply an incentive to desert the armed forces and scale back the burden on us.
Our ministry meets representatives from international international locations to debate alternatives for defectors to hunt asylum. Some international locations are granting asylum though they haven’t introduced it publicly.
However due to the battle in Ukraine, many EU international locations are accepting lots of of 1000’s of Ukrainian refugees. They settle for refugees primarily based on a quota system and Myanmar’s share is likely to be decreased due to Ukraine. However luckily, Australia accepts junta defectors.
Nations have limits for refugees. They permit in quite a lot of refugees per 12 months. So if [junta personnel] defect early, they may have a greater likelihood of gaining asylum. European international locations, particularly, have mentioned providing asylum.
Some international locations, together with the US, may evaluation the defectors as a result of they served within the army. Different nations wouldn’t have these restrictions and they’re going to settle for defectors like different refugees.
Which international locations are usually not serving to the revolution?
I advised the Indian media in an interview that some neighboring international locations have interaction with us however in addition they cope with the regime. We will perceive them.
Our revolution will win. I inform them to cooperate with us and once we win, we’ll bear in mind who stood with us in our wrestle. That is true for people.
We file who our buddies are and who’re sitting on the fence, which can form our future relations with them.
Does that embody India?
Some international locations wish to assist however lack the power. Others have the power however they’re too targeted on their pursuits and fail to behave decisively. In the event that they wish to shield their pursuits, I urged them to face by us.
I assure that their pursuits is not going to undergo. The NUG has the general public’s help. The day when folks don’t like us would be the day we fail. Our neighbors ought to hearken to our folks, and cooperate and help the revolution.
That’s why I used to be vital in the course of the Indian interview. India is the largest democracy on this planet. It ought to extra actively and decisively again democracy in Myanmar. It’s a main regional energy. I used to be vital as a result of India ought to boldly shoulder its position and take motion.
What about China?
China is essential. Its political state of affairs differs from that of India. I say democracies ought to act like actual democracies. To be pragmatic, we now have to interact diplomatically with China. Each India and China are essential to us. We keep our engagement with China. We’re taking a realistic method.
What do you count on from China?
At the very least China shouldn’t legitimize the junta and its leaders and say it’s a reputable authorities. Now we have repeatedly mentioned that and requested China to not ignore the 2020 election outcomes. We perceive China doesn’t oppose that.
What’s the relationship like between the NUG and China?
It’s only a regular communication channel. We haven’t had a gathering with Chinese language representatives. China is cautious and needs to keep up hyperlinks with the junta. There was an change of data between us and China.
Cambodia has elevated its ties with the junta and Japanese representatives have attended the regime’s occasions. Do these international locations help the NUG?
It is a distinction between Myanmar and Ukraine. EU international locations stand collectively by Ukraine. This offers Ukraine many benefits. However it’s completely different in our area. There are dictatorial states and others that favor democracy.
However they’re additionally divided. Even democracies like Japan and South Korea are completely different. South Korea has been extra decisive whereas Japan focuses on negotiations.
Japan is worried China may fill a vacuum if it refuses to interact with the regime. It’s a balancing act.
Asian international locations settle for the precept [of rejecting the regime]. However in actuality, they don’t take a troublesome stance and keep ties with each the regime and us. Now we have to observe their strikes and interact with them.
What’s your message to regional international locations?
It’s easy. When our revolution wins, it’s going to contribute to long-term stability and improvement within the area. If our revolution fails, crises will maintain occurring in Myanmar and it’ll proceed to be a troublemaker within the area.
But when the folks win, Myanmar will contribute to regional stability and improvement as a totally established democracy. Different international locations ought to boldly stand by us and help our revolution.
You mentioned the worldwide neighborhood is making use of Twentieth-century insurance policies to Myanmar. If this continues, can the revolution succeed?
There gained’t be outcomes if these insurance policies proceed. It isn’t solely our loss however a loss for democracies the world over.
How lengthy will the revolution take if we now have to struggle alone with none weapons help?
It’ll take one other 12 months however we’re decided. Now we have lived underneath a dictatorship and perceive that we don’t wish to dwell underneath army rule for one more era.
This revolution is essential for us and the youthful era. We try to verify youthful generations don’t undergo what we suffered. The anti-regime forces is not going to surrender.
This revolution will proceed, it might take longer and folks will undergo extra. Myanmar may turn out to be a failed state. We alone are usually not accountable to forestall Myanmar turning into a failed state. Different international locations, particularly giant powers, have duty too.
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