"US Will Not Appoint New Ambassador to Myanmar" ... Diplomatic Relations Expected to Be Downgraded

International Community Increases Pressure on Myanmar Military Regime

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As international pressure on the Myanmar military regime intensifies, there are prospects that the United States will also downgrade diplomatic relations with Myanmar.

According to Myanmar local media The Irrawaddy on the 11th, the United States is expected to recall its ambassador to Myanmar next year and not appoint a new one. The current U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar, Thomas Vajda, was appointed in January last year, just before the coup occurred in Myanmar.

The Irrawaddy, citing diplomatic sources, reported that the U.S. is likely to take such measures in response to the worsening human rights situation under the military regime, including civilian airstrikes and repression of anti-military figures.

Since the coup, the U.S. government has criticized Myanmar’s military rule, supported anti-military forces, and imposed various sanctions. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2023 fiscal year, which includes the U.S. security and defense budget, also contains provisions for non-military support to Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups, the democratic interim government, and civil resistance forces.

On the 10th, marking World Human Rights Day, the United Kingdom and Canada also strengthened sanctions related to human rights violations. Individuals and companies involved in the Myanmar military’s civilian repression were added to the sanctions list alongside Russia, Iran, and others. Western countries such as the UK, Germany, and Australia have also downgraded diplomatic relations by reducing their ambassadors to Myanmar to charg?s d’affaires.

Previously, the Myanmar military staged a coup in February last year, claiming that the November 2020 general election, in which the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory, was fraudulent, and seized power. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), more than 2,500 civilians have died and over 16,000 have been arrested by the military since February.