The Facts
A statement from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) — a group that monitors civilian deaths and arrests globally — has claimed that Myanmar has murdered dozens of political prisoners and has sometimes used the pretense of prison escape or transfer to explain their deaths.
The organization has alleged that 37 political prisoners from Kyaiksakaw Prison in Daik-U have gone missing or died and families have allegedly received little to no information about the circumstances of their deaths or whereabouts.
The Spin
Narrative A
A humanitarian disaster in Myanmar is unfolding in real-time, as the military regime continues to force the Southeast Asian nation into stiffer repression, even amid the ongoing Rohingya crisis. The global community should not be legitimizing a government that has essentially outlawed dissent against its regime. International organizations and the rules-based order should do everything in their power to see Myanmar return to democratic rule.
Narrative B
The situation in Myanmar can only ever be resolved by the citizens of the country, not through foreign intervention. Myanmar enjoys regular relations with regional partners such as China, Japan, and Thailand, making Western sanctions on the regime ineffective. The lack of global unity only highlights that change in Myanmar can only come from within, as the West lacks the leverage to exert significant influence on the situation.