Rangoon Forges Closer Ties with Moscow

Amid growing international pressure—particularly from the US—to institute long-promised democratic reforms, the Burmese junta’s lieutenant is likely to seek diplomatic favors from Moscow during his four-day state visit, which ends on Wednesday.

According to reports from Moscow, bilateral agreements on cooperation in the oil sector, the fight against drug trafficking and the protection of secret information have been reached between the two countries.

The delegation of some 60 members, led by Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, is likely to focus primarily on military, defense and trade issues, though some observers expect that the junta will also be looking for diplomatic cover.

“Now that the US, the EU and even Asean [has] put pressure on the government, they [the junta] will consider it essential to have a diplomatic ally,” Chan Htun, former Burmese ambassador to China, told The Irrawaddy today.

A quarterly meeting of Rangoon’s top brass several months ago acknowledged that the junta expects more pressure from the US and aims to forge better ties with its allies. Rangoon seems particularly nervous about the US-led attempt to bring the Burma issue to the UN Security Council.

In February, senior US diplomats said that Washington will step up its international campaign against the regime in Burma, aiming to table the issue at the UN Security Council. An unprecedented first step was taken last December with the Council received a briefing on conditions in the military-ruled country.

Burma first established diplomatic relations with Russia (the former Soviet Union) shortly after gaining independence from British rule in 1948.

On Saturday, junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe congratulated Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on his successful re-election campaign, following the example of Russia and China, while the US and EU declared their intention to impose new sanctions against the Lukashenko government.

“It seems that they [the government] aim to defy western powers, allying with Russia and China” said Chan Htun. “But, such a move in the long term—like Iran and Sudan—will only deepen the crisis that the country is facing now.”

Maung Aye, who also holds the position of commander-in-chief of the army, is the highest-ranking Burmese official to visit Russia since the late dictator Gen Ne Win more than four decades ago.