A common feature of successive Myanmar military regimes is the belief that anyone who opposes their rule must be seeking outside help to topple them.
“Oppose those relying on external elements, acting as stooges…” was one of the propaganda slogans the previous military regime used to smear its political opponents.
But in Myanmar today, if “external elements” are indeed being “relied upon”, then it seems Khin Yi, the chair of the Myanmar military’s proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), is now the country’s chief “stooge”, as he has been very publicly enlisting the help of a foreign power to come to the aid of Myanmar’s regime as it suffers one humiliating defeat after another at the hands of anti-regime ethnic armed groups and resistance forces.
Amid a series of military defeats in northern Shan State, Khin Yi has asked Russia to recognize the armed conflict in the country as a war against terrorism being waged by the generals, and to help the regime fight it.
Khin Yi requested Moscow’s intervention during an interview with Russian state-owned media outlet Sputnik in Naypyitaw on July 30. The interview was published on Sunday.
“The main support we would like is for Russia to work together with us in the fight against terrorism. To do this, we must first realize that what is happening [in Myanmar] must be perceived not as internal political squabbles, but as terrorism. If you recognize this as terrorism, then your departments and agencies that are engaged in the fight against terrorism can join us and together achieve our goals,” Khin Yi was quoted as saying.
Russia is a major arms supplier to the regime, and the ties between the two countries have deepened since the 2021 coup.
Junta opponents say Khin Yi’s request for Russian military intervention violates Section 42 (b) of the army-drafted constitution, which bans the deployment of foreign troops in Myanmar.
When asked by Russian media if the regime would allow a Russian military base in Myanmar during his trip to the European country in 2022, junta boss Min Aung Hlaing said himself that such a move is not allowed by the constitution.
Khin Yi served as the police chief during former dictator Than Shwe’s rule, and as immigration minister in Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian government.
He became a vice chair of the USDP after his defeat in the 2015 general election and organized protests targeting the Union Election Commission after it declared the National League for Democracy the winner of the 2020 vote. He orchestrated pro-military rallies before and after the coup.
He was appointed the current regime’s immigration minister and served in that post until becoming USDP chairman in October 2022.
A few days after Khin Yi requested Russia’s help, the regime’s military lost its North Eastern Command based in Lashio in northern Shan State. The seizure of the regional command by ethnic forces was the biggest blow the junta has suffered since the coup.
In the first phase of the anti-regime offensive known as Operation 1027, which was launched by the Brotherhood Alliance of ethnic armies late last year, the regime lost dozens of towns and battalions in northern Shan State including frontier towns on the Chinese border. Since the operation resumed in late June after a Chinese-brokered ceasefire, it has lost more towns in northern Shan State including Kyaukme, Hsipaw, Nawnghkio and the northern Shan State capital Lashio, as well as Madaya and Mogoke towns in Mandalay Region.
Pro-junta political parties led by the USDP released a joint statement on Sunday urging the international community to consider the Brotherhood Alliance a terrorist organization and to impose sanctions against its members.
The international community has imposed sanctions against both the Myanmar and Russian regimes.
