ASEAN-Russia: Foundations and Future Prospects

Russian-Myanmar Relations

156 RUSSIAN-MYANMAR RELATIONS Gleb A. Ivashentsov INTRODUCTION Bilateral relations between Russia and Myanmar have more than sixty years of history. These have been positive relations. Russians never came to Myanmar as conquerors and never had any conflicts or controversies with Myanmar. For the last twenty years, Russia, along with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, has been among the leading foreign partners of Myanmar. For all that period Russia — be it in the United Nations or other international forums has continuously and from the positions of principle opposed internationalization and unfounded politicization of the so-called “Myanmar issue”. For us in Russia, Myanmar is an important present and perspective partner. Such an approach is determined by her line in the international affairs and her ASEAN membership, as well as by her geographic location, size, natural riches and economic potential. The Russian-Myanmar interaction in the international arena is distinguished by common or very close approaches to all topical issues of the global agenda. Myanmar efficiently performs as the Russian-ASEAN dialogue partnership coordinator. GENERAL ELECTIONS IN 2010 The general multiparty parliament election took place in Myanmar on 7 November 2010. It was convincingly won by the pro-government party of Union Solidarity and Development, which won 77 electoral seats all over the country. The election campaign of 2010 and the formation of the Russian-Myanmar Relations 157 constitutional organs of state power brought new dynamics to Myanmar’s political life. Thirty-seven parties took part in the election. Twenty-two parties, including the opposition parties, succeeded in gaining seats in parliaments at different levels. In November 2010, Aung San Suu Kyi was released after many years of home arrest. A GENERATIONAL CHANGE The political processes started in Myanmar seem to be radically changing the former system. The people of a new generation are coming to power. It is not significant whether they are military or civilians. The significance lies with the fact that their vision of the path of Myanmar’s future is different from what we saw before. The new Chief Commander of the Armed Forces, the Minister of Defence and other military leaders have become subordinate to the present civilian state and government leaders and should not by any means position the new power structures under themselves. That seems to be the main principle to determine future developments. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS Along with the change to civilian rule, the open market economy is striking roots. The Myanmar Government is resolutely following the line towards privatization of public enterprises. About 600 of them were privatized in 2010–11, including 250 petrol stations all over the country. Steps were taken to create a more favourable investment climate. In January 2011, the Act on Special Economic Zones was approved which provided quite a number of tax exemptions to attract foreign capital to invest in such big scale projects as the Yangon and Tavoy port zones, as well as construction of deep-sea ports in Sittwe and Chaukpyu, in trans-regional transport infrastructure, automobile-assembly plants and large mining and other industrial enterprises. Foreign investments to Myanmar in 2010 equalled those from 1988 to 2009 period in totality. RICH RESOURCES Myanmar has a tremendous development potential which could make it one of the most prosperous states in Southeast Asia. It is rich in metal ores, including uranium, oil and natural gas, precious stones along with diamonds, timber and many other natural resources. Myanmar can become the rice bowl 158 Gleb A. Ivashentsov of the world, and the Andaman Sea must be the only sea in Asia where fish die of old age. It is the natural transit corridor from China to the Indian Ocean and the bridge between South and Southeast Asia. It has hardworking people with a more than 90 per cent literacy rate and a comparatively good knowledge of English, at least in the urban areas. WESTERN SANCTIONS Myanmar’s economic breakthrough is impeded today not only by the heritage of many years of internal, mainly ethnic, strife, and economic mismanagement of the former regimes. The economic sanctions applied by the West have also contributed to the problems of Myanmar. Surely one could not have expected Myanmar’s adversaries in the West all of a sudden to become its sympathizers after the election, but at least some light at the end of the tunnel of sanctions should appear. All friends of Myanmar should make all...