Marco Rubio was once adamant that the US had to do everything in its power to end what he described as the “ethnic cleansing” of the Rohingya in Myanmar.
asserted
he → have → Myanmar
In a 2017 letter he signed along with 20 other US senators, Rubio called for “strong multilateral sanctions against specific senior Burmese military officials associated with the gross human rights abuses”.
asserted
Rubio → sign → abuses
Those responsible for the atrocities should be prosecuted, he argued.
asserted
he → prosecute → atrocities
In the years since, the Myanmar military’s crimes have only increased.
asserted
crimes → increase → years
What was then deemed ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya is now widely viewed, including by the US, as genocide.
asserted
deemed → deem → genocide
What little democracy existed in Myanmar was eradicated in 2021 when Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested and imprisoned and her party’s election victory overturned, and the military took full control.
asserted
military → exist → control
This sparked a civil war that has now turned into a brutal series of overlapping conflicts between the military, resistance forces and a medley of ethnic militias.
asserted
that → spark → militias
Around 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has forced 5 million people to flee their homes.
asserted
which → kill → homes
The UN estimates that 16 million are now in need of urgent assistance.
asserted
million → estimate → assistance
It is one of the world’s biggest humanitarian disasters – and entirely human-made.
asserted
It → make → disasters
Earlier this year, Myanmar held sham elections, and Min Aung Hlaing – the general most responsible for Myanmar’s genocide and one of the targets of Rubio’s letter – became president.
asserted
Hlaing → hold → letter
But Rubio, now the US secretary of state, no longer believes that Min Aung Hlaing should be prosecuted.
asserted
Hlaing → believe → state
Instead he’d rather like him to become an ally.
asserted
him → like → ?
This month the Trump administration decided to upend nearly a decade of united western policy and open direct talks with the Myanmar regime.
asserted
administration → decide → regime
The possibility of lifting sanctions is now being discussed.
asserted
possibility → lift → sanctions
The move has shocked other western nations – none of which, it appears, was warned.
asserted
it → shock → which
Inevitably, a Maga figure lingers in the background.
asserted
figure → linger → background
This time it’s Roger Stone, the Donald Trump ally who was found guilty in 2019 of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing the investigation into whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia in the 2016 presidential election.
asserted
campaign → ’ → election
Stone, who was spared jail after Trump commuted his sentence, recently started working as a lobbyist for the Myanmar regime, helping to “rebuild relations between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the United States”.
asserted
Trump → spar → Myanmar
It seems to be working.
asserted
It → seem → ?
Earlier this month Michael Vance, the assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, travelled to Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw.
asserted
Vance → travel → capital
The trip was supposedly to secure the release of a US citizen, but Vance also held talks with the generals.
asserted
Vance → secure → generals
The purpose of the talks was not to persuade the military regime to reintroduce democracy or stop its brutal war.
asserted
purpose → persuade → war
Instead it appeared to be about securing American access to Myanmar’s rare earth minerals.
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it → appear → minerals
In recent years, the race to control a steady supply of rare-earth minerals – elements used in a host of military technology and hi-tech manufacturing applications – has become increasingly fraught.
asserted
race → control → technology
China controls most of the world’s rare-earth mines and almost all of the processing capacity.
asserted
China → control → capacity
The Trump administration’s desire to turn the tables has led it to strike one-sided deals with Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo that have placed US business interests over practically everything else.
asserted
that → turn → everything
There are more than 600 rare earth mines in Myanmar, most of which currently supply China.
asserted
most → be → China
Since the 2021 coup, rare-earth shipments from Myanmar to China have totalled $3.6bn, making up the majority of China’s rare-earth imports.
asserted
shipments → total → imports
This is the prize the US appears to have its eyes on.
asserted
US → appear → eyes
Vance’s trip has handed Myanmar’s generals a propaganda victory at a moment when they are doing everything they can to legitimise the regime.
asserted
they → hand → regime
The US, unfortunately, is not the only country welcoming Myanmar’s generals back into the fold.
asserted
US → welcome → fold
Min Aung Hlaing this month flew to Malaysia, once a strong opponent of the junta, where the prime minister Anwar Imbrahim floated the idea of Myanmar being welcomed back into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
asserted
Myanmar → fly → Nations
Trips to Indonesia and Brunei are also on the cards, while the Philippines has indicated that it too would like to see relations normalised.
asserted
relations → indicate → cards
The junta’s diplomatic victories follow growing military success.
asserted
victories → follow → success
Over the last two and a half years, with the help of more sophisticated drones supplied by Russia and China, and the conscription of another 100,000 young men, the junta has regained control over several towns and pushed the resistance back into the countryside.
asserted
junta → supply → countryside
For Myanmar’s civilians, the long nightmare continues.
asserted
nightmare → continue → civilians
Last month more than 50 people were killed when the military bombed a busy market in a rebel-held area.
asserted
military → kill → area
Every week brings fresh atrocities, while the hope of a peaceful, democratic Myanmar slips further into the distance.
asserted
hope → bring → distance
The one silver lining that those fighting for Myanmar’s freedom can cling to is that the rest of the west hasn’t given up on it yet.
asserted
rest → fight → it
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
