Since a coup in February 2021, a conflict has been taking place in Myanmar between the new military junta and a democracy movement led by the democratically legitimised transitional government (the National Unity Government, NUG), ethnic organisations and unions. After the democratic resistance made major advances at the end of 2023, the military junta increasingly responded by committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
On 20 February 2024, the panel discussion "Myanmar's Transition to Federal Democracy" on the current situation and future of Myanmar took place at the IG-Farben-Haus of Goethe University Frankfurt. The panelists were the Foreign Minister of the National Unity Government of Myanmar Zin Mar Aung, the surgeon, writer and chairwoman of the Writers-in-Prison-Committee of Pen International Ma Thida, the political activist and co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition Ko Nay San Lwin, the head of the Global Office of Goethe University Dr Johannes Müller and Dr Pascal Abb, sinologist and coordinator of the research group Regime Competition at PRIF. The discussion was moderated by Dr Ulrich Kuch, Head of the Department of Tropical Medicine and Global Health at the Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine at Goethe University and coordinator of Frankfurt's hospital and university partnerships with Myanmar.
In particular, the plan to create a federal, democratic constitutional state in Myanmar was discussed. The discussion also addressed the role that Germany, Europe as well as regional and major powers (can) play in this. In particular, Pascal Abb analysed China's position in the current conflict.