WASHINGTON (AP) – A military coup in Myanmar and a mass crackdown on Russian dissidents show early tests for the Biden administration as it seeks to restore the US primacy as a pro-democracy world leader.
After taking office with a commitment to restoring US support for human rights, freedom of expression and political openness, President Joe Biden faces two serious challenges in two disparate parts of the world that have been either neglected or the subject of inconsistent messages. . in the Trump era.
After investing decades of time, energy and money in promoting democracy in both Myanmar and Russia, the US is now facing challenges in each of them that could affect the global balance of power, with the unrest in Myanmar being able to strengthen its hand. China.
And while none of the situations can be directly linked to domestic political uncertainty in the United States, experts believe foreign governments could pick up clues to America’s perceived frudges in the last months of President Donald Trump’s term.
“It’s not always about us,” said Dan Fried, a former US diplomat for Europe. “Everyone has their own dynamics, but they certainly give us clues. What connects the two is that, during the campaign, the Biden team talked about supporting democracy as a northern star – a guiding point for democracy. ”
Biden’s aides have rejected suggestions that the January 6 Trump-fueled insurgency, fueled by Trump, will affect US influence in the long run. But they recognized him as a factor as Biden tried to reassert American moral leadership after four years of perceiving Trump.
“The United States remains a country in the world wanted for … leadership and will take some time, but it has certainly committed to do so,” White House Secretary of State Jen Psaki said Monday.
She spoke after Biden released a statement saying she would reinstate sanctions on Myanmar, also known as Burma, which were lifted after the country’s partial return to democracy during the Obama administration.
“The United States has lifted sanctions on Burma in the last decade, based on 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 military has taken control of the government after a brief experiment with limited democracy, detaining former opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and giving China even greater potential for openness in a neighboring country where the West has worked hard to cut off Beijing’s significant influence.
“This is an obstacle to Myanmar and to democratic governance in Asia,” said Danny Russel, a former assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific who is now vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “It is part of an unfortunate shift towards authoritarianism and it is quite worrying. It sets a terrible example for other countries. ”
“It is certainly an early crisis for the Biden administration and it has crystallized the contrast between its support for democracy and Chinese support for authoritarianism,” he said.
Tensions in Myanmar have been rising for some time, but have been largely under the radar of a coronavirus-stricken 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 at a slow boiling point for several years, following attempts to lure Moscow into the democratic fold since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Confronting the Russians will be more difficult.
There, President Vladimir Putin uses an iron fist to try to stifle demonstrations in support of opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who is flying ahead of warnings from Washington and Europe.
“It’s a challenge for Biden, but it doesn’t challenge him directly,” said Fried, who is now in the Atlantic Council. He said the sanctions may not be effective in the long run, but will draw attention. “He 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 Monday that new sanctions are being considered against Russia, not only for Navalny repression, but also for a major cyber attack, electoral interference and alleged rewards offered to the Taliban to target American troops in Afghanistan.
“We look at all of this,” Blinken told NBC News. “It simply came to our notice then. And depending on the conclusions of these reviews, we will take steps to defend our interests and oppose aggressive Russian actions. ”