Myanmar’s post-coup humanitarian crisis continues to unfold with at least 550 casualties, including children, and almost 3,000 detainees by now. There appears to be no end in sight to the violence, despite pleas and condemnations from all around the world.

Some have called for the United Nations to act based on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle. But R2P tools short of military intervention, such as embargoes, sanctions or International Criminal Court prosecution, may not move the needle. Indeed, it is unclear whether the targeted sanctions preferred by the likes of the United States and United Kingdom would change the Tatmadaw generals’ calculus.

We also cannot easily rule out a “Libyan quagmire” scenario if there is a full-blown military intervention or a Chapter VII peacekeeping mission in Myanmar. In any case, UN Security Coun...