US, ‘Quad’ allies push democracy in Myanmar
GBNEWS24 DESK//
The United States on Friday called jointly with Australia, India and Japan for strengthening democracy in Asia and reversing Myanmar’s coup, as President Joe Biden renews the so-called “Quad” alliance despite objections from China, reports AFP.
In a statement that made no explicit mention of China, the US said Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s conversation with his counterparts focused on Biden’s signature priorities of fighting Covid-19 and climate change.
The four top diplomats also discussed “the urgent need to restore the democratically elected government in Burma, and the priority of strengthening democratic resilience in the broader region,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said, using Myanmar’s former name.
Japan said its foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, “strongly urges Myanmar’s military to immediately stop its violent response to civilians” leading anti-coup protests and release elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whom troops deposed on February 1.
The Biden administration has vowed to put a new focus on alliances after Donald Trump’s turbulent tenure and said its pressure campaign on Myanmar will include close cooperation with Japan and India, which have preserved cordial relations with the country’s generals.
India, which has distanced itself from Western efforts to slap new sanctions on Myanmar, is more cautious in its statement on the Quad talks, saying External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar emphasises “upholding of rule of law and the democratic transition”.
The Quad ministers agreed to meet at least once a year. They last held talks in Tokyo in October when Blinken’s predecessor Mike Pompeo, in a marked difference of tone, urged an alliance to stop Beijing’s “exploitation, corruption and coercion” in the region.
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