Politicians, activists and journalists have been arrested to muzzle opposition and critical voices against the military generals who annulled the results of the November democratic elections, won overwhelmingly by the National League for Democracy (NLD).

Can anyone outside Myanmar really put a stop to this killing and reverse the course? What can its immediate neighbors in ASEAN do?

An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday failed to come up with a strong statement against the Myanmar military, as big powers with veto rights argued over whether to intervene and how. The massive international condemnations and appeals for restraint since the coup have fallen on deaf ears. Even if the Security Council does come up with a statement, the junta isn’t likely to budge.

Economic sanctions and boycotts aren’t going to have much of an impact either. Historically, such actions eventually hurt ordinary people more than the ruling elite through economic hardship and more repression. Sanctions serve the moral ego of governments that impose them, mostly playing to their domestic constituents to show that they are doing something.

Read also: [INSIGHT] Myanmar matters to ASEAN, Indonesia

Asian countries, including Myanmar’s Southeast Asian neighbors, have been criticized for not going along with the West’s sanctions. One analyst even blames Asian countries for helping to extend the life to the junta. When we feel helpless, we try to find scapegoats.

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