What's new

Ma Dingsheng criticizes Beijing’s weak diplomacy towards Burma

Karvin

FULL MEMBER

New Recruit

Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Be aware to border issues, and refugee camps should be established beyond the borders
Published on Sept.1st, 2009
After ceasefire for over 20 years in Burma, Burma army entered Laojie, capital of Kokang on August 24th; “kokang National Democratic Alliance Army” was divided, and vice commander Bai Suocheng led 200 soldiers to surrender, while chairman of Kokang government Peng Jiasheng led 800 soldiers to fight and withdraw. The war continued on August 30th, and some Kokang soldiers went into China to take refuge and were put into refugee camps.
Now battles occur in 5 kilometers away from Chinese border, and according to Yun’nan official, gun shells from Burma have because 1 death and 2 wounded in China; besides, casualties of 14 Chinese citizens were caused in Burma. About 37,000 people from Burma have poured into China. After several days’ battle, Burma Military Government announced that 26 officers and soldiers and 8 rebels were killed in the battle, which had also caused tens of thousands of refugees into China border areas. And how could foreign shells attack China’s holy land and kill Chinese people! But after the incident, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China just expressed “solemn representations” to Burma, who settled the issue by making an apology. Let’s imagine once North Korea faces crisis, millions of refugees will get across Yalu River, and shells might also fall into China, and it would be too late for Beijing to express “solemn representations”.
The so-called “Kokang area” was a region of China during Qing Dynasty; it was seized by Britain through an unfair agreement, and later became Burma land. Local residents of Kokang are mostly of Han nationality, they keep living habits of Chinese and Renminbi is a main currency there. China surely has a special position in Kokang area, which should be a trump card in diplomacy between China and Burma. But how can the poor and autarchic Burma military government deal to stage a war against Kokang, a place where hundreds of thousands of citizens of Chinese origin inhabit, infringe benefits of local Chinese merchants and disturb development of harmonious society of China? On the contrary, Russia easily sends army to protect life and property of its emigrants, reminding people of the Soviet Union.
But Chinese government just calls on Burma to maintain stability of the border area and take measures to protect safety and legal rights of Chinese citizens in the region, no more? Such weak diplomatic policies will certainly be deemed as easy to be bullied by surrounding countries. Once war breaks out in North Korea, would Beijing be slow witted like this, and never sent PLA to ward off troubles?
If China worries about its political and economic investment in Burma and thinks that tough intervene might damage international strategic interest of China, at fact any cooperation between China and foreign countries would be mutually beneficial. Burma government being in bad odor needs supports from China specially, so China can of course utilize its influence in local force of the border area to fight a nice diplomatic battle, and make an account of people-based explanation for the Chinese people.
 
Back
Top Bottom