From the outset, the notion of managing Myanmar looks overly intrusive. Why can’t Myanmar be left to manage itself? But the reality is that the international community seeks to shape the development of many countries around the world and, with its fragile transition, delicate peace process and sporadic sectarian violence, Myanmar is certainly one of them. Today I look briefly at two key tools used for that purpose: diplomacy and humanitarian action. How effectively are they being deployed?

It’s impossible to capture the wealth of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic engagement. One important element, though, is the UN Secretary-General’s Partnership Group on Myanmar, formed in April this year as a successor to the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General on Myanmar (created in December 2007). The major difference is that Myanmar is a member of the new body, but was not one of the 14 countries brought together in the Group of Friends. The Partnership Group can be expected to convene once or twice a year, and is no doubt helpful. To gain greater traction, though, more focused engagement is needed. Nicholas Kristof, again reporting from Rakhine State, continues to call on President Obama to speak out about persecution of the Rohingya community. I can’t see that making much difference. Rather, the US would be better advised to work with and through regional powers such as ASEAN, China, Japan and India. On this pressing issue, it’s time for all of them to step up more energetically to the plate.

It’s also difficult to keep track of cross-border humanitarian action. The best websites are maintained by the Myanmar Information Management Unit (under the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator), and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Certainly, though, the aid business is booming in Myanmar. As this happens, it is becoming clear that at a time of great sensitivity to foreign engagement, particularly in Rakhine State, humanitarian agencies and their staffers need to perform absolutely at the top of their game. Even casual Facebook postings can trigger local resentment and undermine aid work. This is not to rule out the important function of bearing witness, but rather to hold that it must be done in careful ways that ensure aid agencies are able to retain a presence throughout the country.