Three years after the military coup in Myanmar, the junta government is now at very risk to fall. In such a situation, Russia is deepening the ties with the Myanmar military ruler. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Rudenko's visit to Naypyidaw this week discussed deepening ties between the two sides in various areas.
According to The Irrawaddy reports, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Rudenko visited Nipedo last Tuesday (February 20). During the visit, he met with Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing. Nuclear technology, tourism, education, fertilizer and power generation were discussed in the meeting.
Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Rudenko also met with the junta's Foreign Minister Lwin Wu. During the meeting, they discussed cooperation in defense, security, legal affairs, transport, communication, production, investment, banking, media, science, technology, education, health, culture, tourism and people-to-people engagement of the two countries. Besides, both sides promised each other close cooperation at regional and international level.
In Myanmar, the military seized power in February 2021 overthrowing the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in a military coup.
But the common people of Myanmar did not accept the seizure of power through a coup. They took to the streets to protest against it. But the army started suppressing them with a hard hand. Thousands of pro-democracy people were arrested. Many of whom died under torture in police custody.
The government formed by army chief Min Aung Hlaing after illegally seizing power faces a crisis of legitimacy. In solidarity with Myanmar's pro-democracy crowd, Western countries led by the United States took a tough stance against the junta ruler.
In such a situation, the junta authorities went out in search of friends for the sake of sustaining their existence. And against the wishes of the people of Myanmar, Russia extended its support to the junta government.
Motivated by an anti-democratic foreign policy, Moscow has backed dictators and autocrats who seized power illegally, from Egypt and Syria after the 2011 Arab Spring to Kazakhstan in 2022, analysts say.
The same policy has been followed in Myanmar. As part of that policy, Moscow has developed intensive bilateral cooperation with Naypyidaw. While pro-democracies are fighting the junta, the Russian administration is feeding Min Aung Hlaing's Tatmadaw with arms, intelligence, joint military and naval exercises, and diplomatic cooperation.
According to a report by The Irrawaddy, relations between Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and the government of President Vladimir Putin have deepened since the coup. Hlaing met Putin soon after taking power, and since then the two countries' top officials have had regular exchange visits.
Russia has become one of the main arms suppliers to the junta in the past three years. In addition, direct flights and multi-sectoral cooperation between the two countries have increased manifold than ever before.
Recently, the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a coalition of three ethnic armed groups in Myanmar, has put up strong resistance against the junta. The billion-dollar junta forces are retreating in the face of their coordinated attacks.
They have lost control of at least 40 cities and numerous army bases since October last year. Heavy fighting is now going on in many areas and news of the defeat of the Junta forces is coming in daily. In such a situation, it is believed that the junta government may fall at any time.
In such a situation, the Russian authorities are strengthening the Dharam Muharram with the Myanmar junta. In December last year, Min Aung Hlaing conferred honorary titles on five Russian officials, including the Russian Defense Minister, Deputy Defense Minister and the Russian Ambassador to Myanmar. At least three Russian warships have even visited Yangon to embolden the junta.
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