Singapore Minister warns against imposing 'widespread sanctions' on Myanmar amid coup

Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday urged against the imposition of “widespread sanctions” on Myanmar saying that such measures would make ‘ordinary people suffer’ the most. While speaking in the parliament, Singaporean lawmaker on February 16 noted that the World Bank estimates about a quarter of Southeast Asian nation’s population lives below the poverty line and since COVID-19 pandemic, it has further worsened. Hence, he advocated against imposing sanctions in the wake of Myanmar military taking over power and detaining the civilian government leaders. 

Balakrishnan said, as quoted by CNA, “And so in all my discussions, my phone calls, I have said that we should not embark on widespread, generalised indiscriminate sanctions, because the people who will suffer most would be the ordinary people in Myanmar.”

His remarks came after just last week the United States announced that it was imposing sanctions on Myanmar military leaders and called on them to give up power and immediately release the government leaders. However, Singapore’s Foreign affairs Minister hoped for a “peaceful resolution and national reconciliation” in Myanmar. Balakrishnan said in a parliament, “In this respect, I also hope that the President, Win Myint, and the State Counsellor, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the other detainees will be released so that they can engage in discussions and negotiations in good faith.”

“The stakeholders in Myanmar must find a long term, peaceful political solution, including a return to its path of democratic transition...If the situation continues to escalate, there will be serious consequences for Myanmar and indeed for our region,” he added.

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US imposes sanctions, New Zealand isolates military

US President Joe Biden announced a series of sanctions on the military leaders of Myanmar. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Biden said, “Today I'm announcing a series of actions that we're taking to begin imposing consequences on the leaders of the coup. The US government is taking steps to prevent the generals from improperly having access to the USD1 billion in Burmese government funds held in the United States”

Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took the stringent decision of isolating the country’s ruling junta. Unveiling the measures, she also called for the entire international community to “strongly condemn what we’re seeing happen in Myanmar”, according to Radio New Zealand. 

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