Pakistan’s growing defense cooperation with Myanmar: moral and legal considerations
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Pakistan’s security ties and cooperation with Myanmar have improved progressively in the last few years. After February 2021’s coup d’état in the Southeast Asian nation, Pakistan-Myanmar defense relations have diversified. China has been instrumental in facilitating the security deals between Islamabad and Naypyidaw.
Though Pakistan’s growing security cooperation with Myanmar is encouraging, Pakistan should tread carefully to avoid any potential legal implications. Concurrently, Pakistan should also keep in view the moral considerations of selling weapons to Myanmar, which is involved in the systematic genocide of the embattled Rohingya Muslim community vis-à-vis its principal stance on Kashmir and Palestine disputes.
Historically, Pakistan’s relations with Myanmar have remained tense over the issue of violence against Rohingya Muslims. In the past, Naypyidaw has accused Islamabad of assisting some members of the Rohingya Muslims belonging to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARAS). ARSA is an insurgent outfit waging a defensive armed struggle against the Myanmar junta’s atrocities in the northern Rakhine State. It bears mention that a large segment of ethnic Rohingya Muslims also live in Karachi.
As a vocal Muslim-majority country, Pakistan has always supported Muslims’ right to self-determination. Therefore, while engaging with Myanmar, Pakistan should air its reservations about the Myanmar junta’s repressive policies against the Rohingya Muslims. As a precaution, Islamabad should insert clauses in arms’ sale agreements to ensure that the weapons sold to Naypyidaw will not be used in the ongoing genocide of the Rohingyas.
As a precaution, Islamabad should insert clauses in arms’ sale agreements to ensure that the weapons sold to Naypyidaw will not be used in the ongoing genocide of the Rohingyas.
Abdul Basit Khan
At any rate, the upward trajectory of Pakistan-Myanmar defense cooperation followed an unannounced visit from Pakistan’s defense ministry to Myanmar. According to media reports, Myanmar is interested in purchasing 60-80 mm mortars, M-79 grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns from Pakistan. Likewise, Myanmar is keen to buy air-to-surface missiles for JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. JF-17 Thunder is a light multi-role combat aircraft jointly manufactured by Pakistan’s Aeronautical Complex and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation of China. The Pakistani delegation also discussed selling upgraded JF-17 Thunder (Block III) aircraft to Myanmar. It is important to mention that Myanmar was the first country to ink a purchase deal of JF-17 Thunder with Pakistan in 2015. In the near future, a delegation from Myanmar’s Directorate of Military Procurement is due to arrive in Pakistan for a pre-shipment inspection of arms.
After last year’s military coup, the United States (US) and other Western nations, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, have placed an embargo on arms sales to Myanmar. Even China has banned arms sales to Naypyidaw. On March 20, the US labeled the Myanmar junta’s repression of the Rohingya Muslim community a genocide. Hence, from a legal standpoint, arms sales to Myanmar could bring Pakistan under the proceedings of the International Court of Justice, Hague. Provided this, Islamabad should ensure its arms sales to Myanmar are not used in the repression of Rohingya Muslims.
As a Muslim-majority country, Pakistan has always championed Muslim nations’ right to self-determination on moral and ethical grounds. For instance, in recognition of the Palestinian Muslims’ inalienable right to their homeland and freedom, Pakistan has never accorded diplomatic recognition to Israel.
Similarly, Pakistan has rendered tremendous sacrifices in supporting the Kashmiri Muslims’ right to freedom. It has fought two wars with India on Kashmir but has never compromised its principal stance. Pakistan was one of the founding members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Recently, Islamabad hosted a special meeting of the OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers on Islamophobia. Therefore, while enhancing and diversifying its security and defense ties with Myanmar, Pakistan should carefully consider its longstanding position on Kashmir and Palestine issues.
Indubitably, in an interest-driven world where nation-states try to maximize their gains and profits, ethical and moral considerations are reduced to footnotes of history. Still, to maintain consistency in its longstanding principled positions, Pakistan should cautiously approach its evolving security relations with Myanmar. As an influential Muslim nation, Pakistan can impress upon Myanmar to revisit its repressive policies toward Rohingyas.
- The author is a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore. Twitter: @basitresearcher.
