WASHINGTON (AP) – A military coup in Myanmar and a mass repression against dissidents in Russia are presenting the first tests for the Biden government, which is trying to restore American primacy as a pro-democracy world leader.
Having taken office with the promise to restore America’s uncompromising support for human rights, freedom of speech and political openness, President Joe Biden is faced with two serious challenges in two different parts of the world that have been neglected or the subject 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 that can affect the global balance of power, with the turmoil in Myanmar potentially strengthening China’s hand.
And while none of the situations can be directly linked to domestic political uncertainty in the United States, experts believe that foreign governments may be picking up hints of the United States’ perceived lack of rudder in the final months of President Donald Trump’s term.
“It’s not always about us,” said Dan Fried, a former US diplomat for Europe. “Each one has its own dynamics, but they certainly inspire us. What unites the two is that during the campaign, Biden’s team talked about supporting democracy like a northern star – a guiding point for democracy. “
Biden’s advisers dismissed suggestions that the January 6 Capitol insurrection, fueled by Trump, will undermine U.S. influence in the long run. But they recognized this as a factor as Biden tries to reaffirm American moral leadership after four years of perceived distrust of Trump.
“The United States remains a country sought after for … leadership, and it will take some time, but it is certainly committed to doing so,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said of Biden on Monday. .
She spoke after Biden released a statement saying he would reimpose 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 past decade based on progress towards democracy,” said Biden. “The reversal of that progress will require an immediate review of our sanctions laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action. The United States will defend democracy wherever it is under attack ”.
In Myanmar, the army took control of the government after a brief experiment with limited democracy, detaining former opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and giving China an even greater potential for openness in a neighboring country where the West had exerted great effort to lessen Beijing’s significant influence.
“This is a setback for Myanmar and for democratic governance across Asia,” said Danny Russel, former assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, who is now vice president of international security and diplomacy at the Institute of Asian Society Policies. “It is part of an unfortunate fall towards authoritarianism and is quite worrying. It is a terrible example for other countries. “
“It is certainly an initial crisis for the Biden government and it really crystallized the contrast between its support for democracy and Chinese support for authoritarianism,” he said.
Tensions in Myanmar have been building for some time, but they are largely under the radar of a Washington worried about the coronavirus, after decades of public and private pressure on Yangon to institute democratic reforms.
In Russia, despite Trump’s political machinations, the situation has been simmering for some years after attempts to lure Moscow into the democratic fold, beginning with the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Confronting the Russians will be more difficult.
There, President Vladimir Putin is using an iron fist to try to crack down on demonstrations in support of opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who escapes warnings from Washington and Europe.
“It is a challenge for Biden, but they are not directly challenging it,” said Fried, who is now on the Atlantic Council. He said the sanctions may not be effective in the long run, but they will draw 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 is going on.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview broadcast on Monday that new sanctions against Russia are being considered, not only for the crackdown on Navalny, but also for a major cyber attack, electoral interference and alleged rewards offered to the Taliban for having targeting American troops in Afghanistan.
“We are investigating all of these things,” Blinken told NBC News. “They are all under review. And depending on the conclusions of these analyzes, we will take measures to defend our interests and to take a stand against aggressive Russian actions ”.