The world saw a terrible genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, in Asia, in 2017, the year Donald Trump assumed office for the first time.
The brutal attacks on the Rohingya Muslim minority by the Myanmar military in August 2017 were later described by the head of the UN agency for human rights as “acts of horrific barbarity,” “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” and possibly “acts of genocide.” Due to the persecution, around a million Rohingya were compelled to escape to Bangladesh, a neighbouring nation.
As we enter the ninth year of that expulsion, the situation continues to deteriorate as a result of the year-long battles between Myanmar’s military and the anti-regime Arakan Army. 40,000 Rohingya have lately fled to Bangladesh, putting the remaining half a million (in Rakhine) at risk of extinction as the Arakan Army now controls much of Rakhine and fighting has escalated.
When Trump entered office in 2017, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made a high-level trip to Myanmar with the goal of resolving the Rohingya issue. On his return, he called the situation in northern Rakhine state “ethnic cleansing” and held a cabinet joint press conference, expressing his great worry over reliable accusations of extensive atrocities by Myanmar’s security forces.
Vice President Mike Pence also put pressure on Myanmar’s State Counselor Aung Sung Suu Kyi regarding the Rohingya issue during the annual ASEAN Summit in Singapore, saying he was “anxious to hear about progress in resolving the crisis, which stems from a violent military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state that the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing.”
Since the USA viewed the crisis as going against its core principles, the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) outlined the country’s serious concerns about troubling human rights developments in Myanmar. The USA’s subsequent actions included targeted sanctions against the top military generals who “were responsible for extrajudicial killings of Rohingya Muslims, barring them from entry to the United States.” They also voiced their concerns about the Myanmar NLD government’s failure to take appropriate action to hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable.
Myanmar denounced the sanctions against the generals when the USA and the West were highly dubious of how the NLD administration handled the situation. Then-government spokesperson U Zaw Htay maintained that the sanctions would not help to resolve the issue in Rakhine but would instead make it worse.
As the Gambia accused Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention by conducting military clearance operations in Northern Rakhine, the State Counselor herself led a legal team to defend the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). She said that Myanmar’s delegation “defended the country ‘to the best of their ability’ against genocide charges at the ICJ.” Thus, the Rohingya issue caused fundamental differences between the USA and Myanmar.
Trump got a second opportunity to strengthen his legacy as a peace maker. Ensuring rights of the Rohingya, bringing peace in Myanmar can thus be amongst the top priorities of the Trump-2 administration in order to bolster regional security, promote democracy, and secure its strategic gains.
Donald Trump returns to the White House following a stunning victory in this year’s presidential election. When the new administration takes office on January 20, everyone will be watching how it handles both domestic and international issues.
The Trump Administration has enormous obstacles to overcome on the international scene along with its domestic economic concerns. The USA must act as a leader in resolving global problems like the war in Russia and Ukraine, the continued conflict in Gaza, the nuclear dangers posed by North Korea and Iran, the growing strategic tensions with China, and the unresolved Rohingya and Myanmar issues.
Over time, things altered significantly in Myanmar. The military has lost control of 60 percent of the nation’s territory since late 2023 and early 2024. In favor of the junta, China has responded more aggressively, increasing border controls, preventing imports, and pressing rebel groups for ceasefires. According to reports, China has suggested forming a combined security firm with the military regime to guarantee the security of Chinese workers and projects.
Notwithstanding the Burma Act, which was approved in December 2022 and offers a framework for involvement and support for democracy in Myanmar, the USA and other Western democracies are making significant but circumstantial contributions to humanitarian aid and democratic campaigning.
This ‘chicken neck’ is expected to be broken by Trump’s new administration. In contrast to a fight between political factions, Trump’s new administration is likely to view the Myanmar situation as a war of terror waged by the regime against its citizens. By encouraging ASEAN, Western democracies, and neighbouring nations to do the same, this action would provide humanitarian help, promote real dialogue among anti-junta groups, and implement coordinated, effective sanctions to cut off the junta’s resources.
The democratic forces in Myanmar are expected to receive support from Trump-2 in order to combat China’s influence in Southeast Asia. A clear, decisive strategy that improves ties with friends and successfully communicates with Beijing would show that the USA wants balance in the region rather than Cold War-style domination.
There can be no successful negotiated peace agreement between the junta and the ethnic armed resistance groups unless the military agrees to civilian supervision and gives up its political involvement and impunity. Time lost as a result of the ceaseless pointless discussions will continue to cause agony for civilians while the military’s reign of terror against its own people continues unabated.
Trump got a second opportunity to strengthen his legacy as a peace maker. Ensuring rights of the Rohingya, bringing peace in Myanmar can thus be amongst the top priorities of the Trump-2 administration in order to bolster regional security, promote democracy, and secure its strategic gains.
