Myanmar’s Weaponization of COVID-19 1. COVID-19 and Myanmar’s Securitized Response The government and military have em- cases, attributing it to the nation’s “lifestyle and braced a pandemic response centered on limit- diet” and a reliance on cash instead of credit ed coronavirus testing alongside the measured cards.5 Human Rights Watch described the release of statistics describing a trickle of con- comments as “clashing with everything known firmed but controlled cases. Initially, many of about the coronavirus outbreak” and suggested the infections were attributed to importation that they were said in order to give people a – time spent abroad or in contact with “for- “false sense of security.”6 eigners.” As of 18 May, there had been just 187 In mid-March, 15 political parties – mostly confirmed cases of the virus and six deaths in military proxies, including the Union Solidarity Myanmar.3 The nation confirmed its first case and Development Party (USDP) – released a on 23 March 2020 after the coronavirus had al- joint statement describing COVID-19 as an ready spread through Myanmar’s neighboring impending national threat and, while welcoming countries – including China, with whom Myan- the government’s response plan, urged the mar shares a porous border and where there National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) were more than 80,000 cases at the time. It was to lead the country through the pandemic. Six one of the last nations in the world to acknowl- of the 11 members of the NDSC are military edge the presence of the virus domestically, representatives, giving the institution a majority and noted that it had been found in individuals in what has been described as the country’s who had returned from countries abroad, such most powerful decision-making body during as the US and UK. At that time, the country of periods of crisis or emergency.7 approximately 54 million had only administered 214 tests for COVID-19. 4 While the NDSC has not been called on by the government to convene an emergency Just one week before it was officially meeting, it has not had to: most of its military announced that the virus was in the country, members are also present on the Coronavi- government spokesperson Zaw Htay had rus Disease 2019 Containment and Emergen- boasted about Myanmar’s lack of COVID-19 cy Response Committee signed into action by 3 Worldometer. Myanmar: Coronavirus Cases. Available at: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/ myanmar/ 4 AFP. “Myanmar confirms first coronavirus cases.” Bangkok Post. 24 March 2020. Available at: https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1884820/myanmar-confirms-first-coronavirus-cases 5 Amanda Holpuch. “Myanmar has zero coronavirus cases, claims Aung San Suu Kyi.” The Guardian. 17 March 2020. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/17/myanmar-has-zero-coronavirus-cases-claims-leader-suu-kyi 6 Phil Robertson. “Myanmar Denials Define COVID-19 Response.” Human Rights Watch. 17 March 2020. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/17/myanmar-denials-define-covid-19-response 7 San Yamin Aung. “Myanmar Military Eyes More Powers for National Security Council.” The Irrawaddy. 20 September 2019. Available at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-military-eyes-powers-national-security-council.html 5