The Federal Republic of Germany’s substantial development assistance, which was a key element in its relations with Myanmar, was mostly terminated following the military’s bloody suppression of demonstrations in 1988.

After the democratic transition process began in 2011, bilateral relations with Myanmar saw a revival, but they have been strained since 2017 due to the military’s brutal actions against the Muslim Rohingya population. In 2023, Germany intervened in a case against Myanmar brought before the International Criminal Court in this connection.

The German Government resolutely condemned the seizing of power by Myanmar’s military on 1 February 2021 and calls for an end to the violence, for the re‑establishment of democratically legitimised institutions and for the immediate release of all political prisoners. It also expects the military to enter into dialogue with all sides in order to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, and supports in particular the mediation efforts of the ASEAN countries as well as the United Nations. At European Union level, several rounds of sanctions have been imposed, some of which are aimed at leaders of the regime and at the business conglomerates operated by Myanmar’s military.

In 2020, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development decided to end bilateral state development cooperation with Myanmar in light of the forced displacement of the Rohingya. With the country facing increasingly severe hardship since the military coup as well as a general downturn (according to the United Nations, around half of its 54 million inhabitants live below the poverty line, food is scarce in many regions, and the provision of medical care has collapsed in large parts of the country), the German Government is providing humanitarian assistance and supporting selected projects in fields including human rights, culture and stabilisation.