Putin in flurry of Gulf diplomacy

ARAB NEWS
Salam Al-Obaidy
December 08, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) held talks with Omani Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (R). (AFP)

Russian president holds talks with Saudi, Emirati, Omani, Iranian officials — ‘What is happening in Gaza is of course genocide and a crime against humanity’: Iranian president

MOSCOW: Just a few hours after returning to Moscow from a visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Omani Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

Russia and Saudi Arabia urge all OPEC+ powers to join oil cuts

REUTERS
By Guy Faulconbridge and Vladimir Soldatkin
December 7, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman walk during a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 6, 2023. Sputnik/Aleksey Nikolskyi/Kremlin via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 6, 2023. Sputnik/Sergei Savostyanov/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

Southeast Asia fears US neglect, ostracised Muslims and resurgent extremists as Israel-Gaza war rages on

Institute of stragetc & Ineternational Studies
Thomas Daniel,
By Maria Siow and Amy Sood
- 23 October 2023 Related:
Israel, Malaysia, Middle East, Palestine, Southeast Asia

 

• Analysts warn of a spike in Hamas-inspired radicalisation and plummeting interfaith relations as the Middle Eastern conflict continues to escalate
• Washington’s attention, meanwhile, looks set to remain elsewhere due to a fundamental ‘shift of focus’ – unless China ‘does something really drastic’

 

As the civilian death toll from the bloodiest Israel-Gaza conflict in decades climbs ever higher, analysts warn that Asia must be on guard against deep divisions over the war tearing at the region’s social fabric – and the consequences of an increasingly distracted United States turning the bulk of its attention elsewhere.

Six countries boycott ASEAN military exercise led by Russia and Myanmar junta

Myanmar Now
September 26, 2023

Singapore, a member of the regional bloc, was among the countries refusing to attend the event held by a working group co-chaired by the Russian and Myanmar regimes

 An Indian Army contingent poses ahead of its attendance at a counterterrorism exercise being held in Russia September 25-30 (Press Information Bureau of India) 

A military exercise commenced in Russia on Monday under the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts’ Working Group on Counter Terrorism, co-chaired by the Russian and Myanmar junta defence ministries.

Prospect of Rohingya repatriation and options for Bangladesh

Financial Express
A military analysis
Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman
Published :Aug 16, 2023

It has been six years since the massive exodus of Rohingyas took place in August 2017. Initially it was perceived that Myanmar cannot get away for very long with atrocities and crime against humanity of such magnitude. Despite regional power's support and some permanent members support in UN Security Council the condemnation of the act was overwhelming worldwide. Bangladesh's diplomatic initiative bilaterally as well as taking some members of ASEAN on board there was a memorandum of understanding signed in November 2017 between Bangladesh and Myanmar on Rohingya repatriation. In fact, that created hope among many about resolving the refugee issue quickly. To my appreciation the expulsion of Rohingyas from Rakhine was a systematic, well-orchestrated military operation. With my background I understood the drama of taking back the Rohingyas was also a portrayal of military operation. In fact, it is part of a deception plan and psychological warfare. Any military operation without political objective is a nonsensical waste of resources. Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) generals being a bunch of meritocratic cunning professionals would not waste resources.

War and Memory in Russia, UIkarine and Belarus

Putin has a history of atrocities. Just how far will Russian forces go in Ukraine?

THE GUARDIAN
Kenneth Roth
Thu 3 Mar 2022
Kenneth Roth is executive director of Human Rights Watch


We have already seen indiscriminate use of cluster munitions, and the firing of ballistic missiles and rocket artillery

 

What can be done to stop a worsening spiral of indiscriminate warfare that would endanger countless Ukrainian civilians?’ People shelter from Russian attacks in a Kyiv underground station on Wednesday. Photograph: Roman Pilipey/EPA


As Russian forces invading Ukraine confront stronger and more effective resistance than the Kremlin probably anticipated, the big question is: what comes next. The Russian military has a history of meeting such resistance with serious violations of the laws of war, including deliberately targeting civilians and subjecting them to indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks.

Serbia Sold Arms to Myanmar Junta After Coup

The Irrawaddy

25 February 2022

NORA A 152mm howitzers manufactured by Jugoimport-SDPR, which were viewed by coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during his visit to Serbia in 2015

Serbia has continued to supply arms to the Myanmar military since the coup, despite the fact that those weapons are being used to attack and kill civilians, including children.

Tom Andrews, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, identified Serbia, along with China and Russia, as UN member states that are continuing to sell arms to the junta in a report issued on Tuesday.

On the same day, the independent rights group Myanmar Witness also issued its own report revealing that air-launched rockets were exported by Serbia to Myanmar after the February 1, 2021 coup.

Bangladesh Looks To Russia To Resolve Rohingya Crisis – Analysis

eurasiareview
By Anand Kumar*
Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA)

August 8, 2021 

Rohingya refugees. Photo Credit: Tasnim News Agency

The issue of Rohingya refugees has turned out to be a major problem for Bangladesh in recent times, especially after the mass exodus of Rohingyas from Myanmar in August 2017. Bangladesh has tried to engage bilaterally with Myanmar and also attempted to garner international support to deal with this problem effectively. It has managed to get support not only from the Western countries and the Muslim world but also from important international organisations like the United Nations (UN). Despite this, the problem is far from resolved. In its bid to find a solution to this problem and to repatriate Rohingyas to Myanmar, Bangladesh has now sought the help of Russia as the relationship of the Myanmar junta with Russia is gathering strength.

Moscow sells warplanes to Burmese generals

ASIANEWS.IT

Vladimir Rozanskij
07/26/2021,

Sukhoi Su-30SME multirole fighter jets and military training aircraft​ delivered . After China, Russia is the main supplier of weapons to Naypyidaw. Like the Chinese, the Russians support Min Aung Hlaing's coup junta. Burma's military leadership relies on the Kremlin to balance Beijing's influence.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - In recent days Russia has delivered a consignment of Sukhoi Su-30SME multi-role fighter jets and military training aircraft to Myanmar, contracted by the regime a few months ago. Head of the Federal Service for Military Cooperation, Dmitry Šugaev confirmed the sale to Interfax over the weekend.

Šugaev says "the supply of these technologies will significantly strengthen the capabilities of Myanmar's military aviation." During the Maks-2021 Air Show, in the presence of Vladimir Putin, he explained that "Naypyidaw remains one of Russia's key partners in Southeast Asia."

Myanmar Junta Chief Extols Russia Ties, Says US Relations ‘Not Intimate’

The Irrawaddy

26 June 2021

A TV screengrab of Myanmar coup leader Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing (right) after receiving the title of “honorary professor” from the Defense Ministry of Russia on Wednesday.

Myanmar coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing lauded Russia as Myanmar’s “friend forever” while stating that the US is “not very intimate” compared with neighboring China and India due to its “far distance”, in an interview with Russian media during his visit to Moscow.

“The USA is also Myanmar’s friend but it is in some far distance. But, our neighboring China and India are our close friends,” he told Fedor Lukyanov, anchorperson of the “International Review” program on Russia 24, on Tuesday, adding that “we have to take relations with the neighboring countries seriously.”

United Nations calls for halt of weapons to Myanmar

ABS-CBN NEWS
Michelle Nichols, Reuters
Jun 23 2021

Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Myanmar's Commander in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing walk past the honor guard prior to their talks in Moscow, Russia on June 22, 2021. Vadim Savitskiy/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation/Handout via Reuters

NEW YORK - The United Nations General Assembly on Friday called for a stop to the flow of arms to Myanmar and urged the military to respect November election results and release political detainees, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The General Assembly adopted a resolution with the support of 119 countries several months after the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in a Feb. 1 coup. Belarus requested the text be put to a vote and was the only country to oppose it, while 36 abstained, including China and Russia.

Russia and Myanmar junta leader commit to boosting ties at Moscow meeting

REUTERS
June 21, 2021

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev attends a World War Two Victory Day anniversary parade in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, June 24, 2020. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

MOSCOW, June 21 (Reuters) - Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, and Myanmar's junta leader committed to further strengthening security and other ties between the two countries at a Moscow meeting on Monday.

Myanmar's junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, flew to the Russian capital on Sunday to attend a security conference this week. read more Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier on Monday said President Vladimir Putin would not be meeting Min Aung Hlaing, Interfax reported.

Rights activists have accused Moscow of legitimising Myanmar’s military junta, which came to power in a Feb. 1 coup. by continuing bilateral visits and arms deals.

Russia says it has a long-standing relationship with Myanmar and said in March it was deeply concerned by the rising number of civilian deaths in Myanmar.

UN: New resolution against violence in Myanmar must prompt global arms embargo

AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL

18 June 2021,

All countries must stop selling arms to Myanmar following the adoption of a resolution by the UN General Assembly condemning the use of lethal force and violence in the country, Amnesty International said today.

The resolution, passed by an overwhelming vote of 119 to 1 with 36 abstentions, calls on member states to prevent the flow of arms into the country. It strongly condemns the worsening crackdown on peaceful protesters and civil society, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of arbitrary detainees and an end to restrictions on freedom of expression.

Russia: Blinking, Bombing, Blockading And Burma

Strategy Page

May 6, 2021:

Russians are dismayed at the performance of their economy compared to the East European countries that also lost their communist government (and Russian occupation forces) after 1990. Those nations quickly established economic, diplomatic and military links with Western Europe and the rest of the developed nations. Russia tried to do the same but was hampered by more corruption and less experience with free market economies. In 1991 Russia had been without a free market economy for 70 years. There were was no tradition of free market economics. East European countries (as well as China) were different. They had not lost their free market economies until the late 1940s, meaning it was only 45 years since communism replaced free markets. These nations also had a lot of expatriates in the West who had prospered in the free market and still had ties with family back in the communist homeland. A lot of those expatriate kin were welcomed back even if they talked the local language with an odd accent. This made a big difference but Russian politicians chose to ignore this and blame the poor Russian economic performance on outsiders, namely the West. In 2014 the blame game turned violent when Russian invaded Ukraine, partly because Ukrainians wanted to emulate the East European nations. The invasion triggered economic sanctions from the West. Then there was a technical revolution in extracting oil (fracking) that turned the U.S. and Canada into major oil producers and exporters. This cut the world prince of Russia’s main export, oil and natural gas, by more than half. Over the next five years the major East European nations (Poland, Romania and Hungary) grew about 4 percent a year while Russian GDP grew by less than one percent a year. By 2019 most East European nations, including Turkey had higher per-capital income than Russians. This loss was widely felt, and experienced in Russia.

UN fails to agree on Myanmar statement, diplomats blame China, Russia

FRANCE 24
01/05/2021

UN Special Envoy to Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener had a long meeting with Myanmar junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting STR AFP/File

United Nations (United States) (AFP)

The UN Security Council failed to agree Friday on a joint statement on the crisis in Myanmar after a closed-door meeting, with diplomats blaming Beijing -- the junta's main backer -- and Russia for raising objections and putting forward their own competing text.

The session was convened by Vietnam to present the conclusions of a recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Indonesia. ASEAN is to appoint an envoy to help resolve the crisis sparked by the February 1 coup by the Myanmar military.

During the meeting, the UN Special Envoy to Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, who is currently touring the region, gave a report on her long meeting with Myanmar junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, held on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting.

Episode 190 -- Update on the Russia and Burma Sanctions Programs

JDSUPRA

April 18, 2021

Last week, the Biden Administration announced new and significant trade sanctions against Russia. The action was long expected given the Biden Administration’s criticism of Russia, and was a comprehensive response to Russia’s interference in the 2020 US election, its SolarWinds cyberattack and its ongoing occupation of Crimea and threatening addition of troops along the Ukraine border.

Over the last few months, OFAC has ratcheted up sanctions against Burma in response to the military coup and continuing crackdown against protesters.

In this Episode, Michael Volkov provides an overview on the Russia and Burma sanctions programs.

Link : Here

Russia and China Thwarting International Response to Myanmar Crisis: EU

KMJ NOW

AFP
11 April 2021

Russia and China are frustrating the international response to the Myanmar crisis, a top European Union diplomat said Sunday, as the death toll from a military crackdown climbed past 700.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military removed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from power on February 1.

International efforts to stem the violence have so far failed to yield results, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell saying Sunday it was “no surprise” that Russia and China were blocking efforts at the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo.

China, Russia undermine international Myanmar response, EU's top diplomat says

REUTERS

By Kate Abnett
APRIL 11, 2021

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union’s top diplomat said on Sunday Russia and China were hampering a united international response to Myanmar’s military coup and that the EU could offer more economic incentives if democracy returns to the country.

“It comes as no surprise that Russia and China are blocking the attempts of the U.N. Security Council, for example to impose an arms embargo,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a blog post.

“Geopolitical competition in Myanmar will make it very difficult to find common ground,” said Borrell, who speaks on behalf of the 27 EU member states. “But we have a duty to try.”

Security forces have killed more than 700 unarmed protesters, including 46 children, since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a Feb. 1 coup, according to a tally by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) activist group.

Myanmar Coup: Russia Calls Sanctions 'dangerous', Says It Could Lead To Civil Conflict

R. REPUBLICWORLD

Bhavya Sukheja

7th April, 2021

Amid political tensions in Myanmar, Russia said that sanctions against authorities in Burma were dangerous and could push country towards civil conflict.

Image: AP

Amid political tensions in Myanmar, Russia on April 6 said that sanctions against authorities in Burma were futile, extremely dangerous and could ultimately push the country towards civil conflict. Since February 1 coup, Myanmar has been embroiled in protest against the military government, which has responded with increasingly totalitarian surveillance and censorship measures in addition to the violence that has left more than 500 dead and thousands arrested. The cup and the subsequent crackdown has led to Western sanctions on the military and its lucrative business.