The United States has a unique way of influencing Myanmar’s politics, prioritizing soft power influence over military intervention. In addition to imposing sanctions and providing humanitarian aid in response to the 2021 coup, the United States has also created educational opportunities for youths in Myanmar. With Myanmar’s civil war disrupting traditional government-to-government engagement between the United States and Myanmar, the United States should focus on enhancing its soft power ties directly with the people of Myanmar. Forging stronger people-to-people ties between the United States and the youth of Myanmar could help form a legacy for future leaders in the country. By absorbing concepts of civic engagement and democratic principles from the United States, the youth of Myanmar can fuel a bottom-up approach to demanding federal democracy in their own country.
U.S.-Myanmar Relations Before and After the Coup
Welcoming developments toward democracy in Myanmar after 2011, the United States eased almost all sanctions and strengthened ties during Myanmar’s period of quasi-civilian rule. The United States in 2012 appointed its first ambassador to the country in twenty-two years, and the Obama administration eased restrictions on new U.S. investments. Consequently, the reestablishment of relations with the United States boosted Myanmar’s economy, leading to an increase in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita from $753 in 2009 to $1,400 in 2019, doubling the economy in ten years of democratic transition. Additionally, the country’s poverty rate fell from 48 percent in 2005 to 25 percent in 2017. The greatest achievement during the ten-year struggle for democracy was the successful holding of Myanmar’s first-ever open general election contested by a diverse set of opposition parties on November 8, 2015.
Support from the United States and U.S. civil society was indispensable in the electoral process and the eventual victory of the National League for Democracy party. Since 2012, the International Foundation for Electoral System has supported Myanmar’s democratic leaders in their efforts to strengthen the electoral process and encourage participation. Beyond political system development, initiatives like the Youth and Women’s Leadership Training program supported by the International Republican Institute (IRI) expanded wider participation of women and the youth in leadership roles. Unfortunately, these constructive developments in U.S. support only lasted for a decade, disrupted by the 2021 military coup.
The United States has consistently imposed economic sanctions on countries with basic human rights violations. Ten days after the coup in 2021, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Myanmar, intending to prevent the generals from accessing $1 billion held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. President Biden also joined the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) regional summit that excluded top leaders from Myanmar’s junta due to their lack of negotiation with other ASEAN members regarding the five-point consensus. Despite this international action, the civil war in Myanmar continues.
Shaping the Next Generation: U.S. Soft Power Diplomacy and Assistance to Myanmar
Before the end of partial military rule in 2016, the United States launched the U.S.-Myanmar Partnership to promote political and economic reform. The partnership sought to strengthen people-to-people ties with Myanmar through various educational exchange programs and increase funding for such programs by 50 percent. Myanmar also joined the Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) program, which allows youths from the ten ASEAN countries to experience U.S. culture by spending five weeks at universities or work placements in the United States. The program strives to prepare young leaders from Southeast Asia to partner with the United States on economic development, civic engagement, and education. Past YSEALI participants have stated that they learned different principles ranging from the importance of freedom of speech to the values of democracy. However, these advantageous impacts ceased after the coup. While participants from countries like Singapore could initiate democratically-aligned projects such as enhancing youth participation in community meetings, participants from Myanmar have struggled to successfully launch projects due to the country’s political instability.
While the 2021 coup led to the creation of a small number of scholarship programs, it also halted existing people-to-people ties. In 2023, USAID launched the Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program, a five-year initiative aiming to award 1,000 Myanmar students with scholarships. The US-ASEAN Business Council notably launched the Myanmar Scholarship Fund, which awarded scholarships to 50 students from Myanmar. But while there is growing support toward Myanmar in response to the coup, many other existing programs are no longer accessible to people from Myanmar. The Peace Corps, a program where volunteers from the United States help develop peace and friendship in developing countries, closed its post in Myanmar in 2022 due to the country’s political instability. IRI also closed its office in Yangon after the coup, halting their ongoing Youth and Women’s Leadership Training program. The impact that the institute and others like it made during Myanmar’s ten-year struggle for democracy was undermined by the coup. With Myanmar’s youth being denied access to educational and professional opportunities, the country faces significant disadvantages in its economic and youth development.
The United States should not be discouraged by Myanmar’s unhealthy political climate. In a world of growing online communications, scaling up virtual exchange programs would be beneficial. The Central European University and Bard College cofounded the Open Society University Network (OSUN), which offers virtual courses to thousands of students across the world to promote civic engagement in their societies. Parami University from Myanmar is a member of OSUN, allowing its students to learn and work together with international students. Such initiatives do not require physical interaction, but still provide opportunities for young people in Myanmar to become engaged international citizens. The United States thus could enhance its support for similar alternative methods of offering exchange opportunities to youths in Myanmar. By continuing to engage with Myanmar’s youth, Washington will help shape Myanmar’s future policymakers, who are ready to fuel democracy when the time is right.
Strengthening Soft Power Influence
The United States should create more opportunities for Myanmar’s youth. A handful of scholarship programs initiated by U.S. institutions have helped the youth of Myanmar, who are currently boycotting government schools and universities in search of alternative education opportunities. Since Myanmar’s transition to democracy, most citizens have experienced the benefits of increased freedom and economic opportunities and are determined not to give up easily. The United States should not be doubtful of the resolve of Myanmar’s people. A recent nationwide poll conducted by IRI notes that 80 percent of adults in Myanmar favor democracy as the best form of government. To support these aspirations, the United States should continue to promote democracy among the youth of Myanmar, help them develop their skillsets and leadership skills, and help build a new Myanmar with a stronger foundation for democracy.
Pann Ei Thwel is a former research intern with the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.