The National Interest Foundation Newsletter

Issue 88, March 18, 2021

Welcome to our NIF Newsletter. In this week’s headlines: the 10-year anniversary of the Syrian revolution passes, the military junta in Myanmar declares martial law after engaging in more lethal violence against anti-coup protesters, three advocacy organizations file a landmark lawsuit against the Russian mercenary group Wagner over the torture and killing of a detainee in Syria, and the North Korean regime breaks its silence with a fiery message to the United States as Biden administration officials visit the region for high-level talks in Japan and South Korea.

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10-Year Anniversary of the Syrian Revolution

The 10-Year Anniversary of the Syrian Revolution Passes

Monday of this week marked the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Syrian uprising. In March of 2011, thousands of protesters took to the streets across Syria to demonstrate against the repressive regime of despot President Bashar al-Assad. The popular uprising, which was fueled by the Arab Spring, quickly turned into a full revolution after the Assad government attempted to violently suppress the protests. In the 10 years that have ensued, nearly 500,000 people have been killed and 12 million more displaced. The conflict has also spawned a refugee crisis which has reverberated across the world, and over the course of the past decade, human rights abuses have been rife. Back in 2012, the Assad regime broke international law on the rules of war when it killed 1,500 civilians through the use of chemical weapons. Civilians have also been subjected to indiscriminate bombing campaigns from the Syrian government and its international allies, primarily Russia. The fracturing of the country also facilitated the rise of extremist groups such as ISIS, which terrorized civilians within its so-called caliphate. Today, Bashar al-Assad remains in power in Syria, largely propped up by foreign patrons such as Russia and Iran.

Declaration of Martial Law in Myanmar

The Military Junta in Myanmar Declares Martial Law After Engaging in More Lethal Violence Against Anti-Coup Protesters

Myanmar’s military junta has imposed martial law across the country as it continues to escalate its ruthless crackdown on mass resistance to the recent February coup. The move comes in the aftermath of the deadliest round of violence there, as the junta accelerates its use of lethal force against protesters. The ruling authorities in Myanmar have garnered overwhelming international condemnation for their brutal efforts to suppress largescale opposition to the coup. Additionally, impartial independent observers have disputed the military’s claim of a fraudulent November 2020 election – the basis by which it has tried to defend its actions to oust the previous government. Telling accounts of security officials defecting because of their refusal to engage in violence against civilians have also emerged, highlighting the prevalence and disturbing levels of human rights violations the military has been willing to commit to hold on to power. Myanmar has already been under a state of emergency in the preceding weeks, and the declaration of martial law is the junta’s latest attempt to cement its absolute control over the country and all of its institutions.

Lawsuit Against the Wagner Group

Three Advocacy Organizations File a Landmark Lawsuit Against the Russian Mercenary Group Wagner

Earlier this week, three nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) announced the filing of a lawsuit against the Wagner Group – a Russian mercenary company with links to the Kremlin – over the torture and killing of a detainee in Syria. In the landmark legal case, the NGOs accuse the Kremlin of using Wagner fighters to avoid liability for major human rights violations committed in Syria and elsewhere. The Russian government has long been suspected of deploying the Wagner Group as a shadowy military force and rights organizations have criticized its destructive role in many countries around the world including Syria, Libya, and Sudan, among others. The recently filed lawsuit marks the first known attempt to try to directly hold anyone connected to the secretive group accountable for its actions. Social justice advocates are hopeful that the litigation effort will help expose the scale of abuses carried out by the Wagner Group and its enablers.

North Korea’s Fiery Message to the U.S.

The North Korean Regime Breaks Its Silence with a Fiery Message to the United States

In its first public comments since President Biden was elected and inaugurated, the North Korean regime warned the new U.S. administration against antagonizing it. The comments from Kim Yo-jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong-un, coincided with the beginning of joint military drills between the United States and South Korea. North Korea has long decried these drills, calling them “the preparation for an invasion.” In criticizing the drills, Kim Yo-jong said that if the United States “wants to sleep in peace for the coming four years, it had better refrain from causing a stink at its first step.” After entering office, high-level officials from the Biden administration reportedly reached out to North Korea through intermediaries, but received no response. The hostile rhetoric from North Korea comes as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin are in Asia for meetings with Japanese and South Korean officials, with the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula a topic of discussion.