Myanmar issue

• The Myanmar government recently requested a 10-month extension to file a countermemorial in response to the complaint alleging that Myanmar violated the International Genocide Convention, but the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recently rejected this request.
• The lawsuit concerns the atrocities committed by the Myanmar military in 2017 during "clearing" operations in Rakhine state, which led to the eviction of Rohingya people.

What Caused Unrest in Myanmar?

• Background – In 1948, the nation declared its independence from Great Britain. From 1962 until 2011, when a new administration started restoring civilian control, it was governed by the armed forces.
• The military government made the decision to move the nation towards democracy in the 2010s. Political rivals were let free, elections were permitted, and the military remained powerful.
• The National League for Democracy won the 2015 election, which was the first free and fair election in which many parties competed, and established the government, giving rise to optimism that the nation is close to completing its transition to democracy.

Military coup:

• The NLD won the majority of seats in the legislative vote in November 2020.
• According to the 2008 military-drafted constitution, the military holds 25% of the total seats in the parliament of Myanmar, and some important ministry positions are also allocated for military appointees.
• The military declared a state of emergency for a year before to the newly elected parliamentarians in Myanmar convening the first session of Parliament in 2021, citing widespread voting fraud.

Related Issues the UN Has Drawn Attention To

• Although the military is legally required to protect civilians during hostilities, the corresponding principles of international law have consistently been broken.
• With over half of the people now living in poverty, Myanmar's economy has crumbled.
• Since the coup, the military has imprisoned the nation's democratically elected leaders and jailed more than 16,000 people in the months that followed.

The Rohingya Problem:

• On August 25, 2017, a violent uprising in Myanmar's Rakhine State led to the forced emigration of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people.
• Additionally blocked off from Myanmar's pro-democracy movement is the Rohingya group.
• The pro-democracy movement in Myanmar has encountered many difficulties over the years, such as limitations on the right to free expression and assembly, arbitrary arrests and detentions, censorship, and violence.

What is India's Position Regarding Myanmar?

• India has expressed worry in recent years regarding Myanmar's human rights status, especially in light of the Rohingya issue.
• India has urged a peaceful resolution to the problem, respect for human rights, and punishment of those who violate those rights.
• India has expressed serious worry over recent events in Myanmar, but cutting off its military ties is not a practical solution given that India has important economic and geopolitical ties to Myanmar and its neighbours.
• Depending on how the situation and geopolitical factors in the region change, India's position on the Myanmar issue may also change.