The early morning coup that took place in Myanmar on Feb. 1 caught many longtime observers by surprise. After all, the military had promised only two days prior to “abide by the constitution,” alleviating growing fears of the military’s intervention following vague threats by the commander in chief earlier in the week. For the new Biden administration, the coup has posed a major challenge as it seeks to reincorporate U.S. values and support for democracy into American foreign policy.
As demonstrations continue across Myanmar, policymakers around the world are being confronted with the urgent need to respond. Many Western governments have issued strong statements condemning the military’s actions and calling for the immediate release of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) who have been detained. But in the region itself, responses have generally been more reserved. In Washington, talk has quickly turned to the Biden administration’s options for response and whether there will be a return to the broad-based sanctions regimes of the past.
