People’s Perception of the Role of Foreign Power in Myanmar: A Case Study of the 2021 Military Coup

Abstract

The study explores people’s perception of foreign external actors in Myanmar’s domestic conflict through a case study of the recent military coup in Myanmar on 1 February 2021. Both Myanmar and China firmly hold a non-interference policy in other’s internal affairs stemming from the ‘Five Principles of Co-existence. However, the traditionally strong relationship between China and the Myanmar army, the Chinese response to the military coup, and its attitude to the army leaders have become controversial among people in Myanmar, leading to a growing anti-Chinese sentiment. By conducting a survey with the Myanmar diaspora, the paper analyses how people in Myanmar perceive China’s role in Myanmar’s internal affairs. The study concludes that, given China’s growing international role, Beijing should pay particular attention to how its foreign policy actions are perceived by the populations of other states.