Beijing, China: China neglected the atrocities on pro-democracy protestors in Myanmar during China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s bilateral meeting with Myanmar’s Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin.
China is playing a spoiler in Myanmar’s peace process, reported policy research group, Poreg as Communist China has neither interest nor liking for the democratic idiom.
In the run-up to the Seventh Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which the Myanmar junta had hosted at the ancient temple city of Bagan, there were high expectations that Beijing would encourage Yangon to return to the old days by sincerely implementing the peace process outlined by ASEAN.
However, China values its own strategic interests and it has gone hawking the Belt and Road Initiative and played a spoiler in the democratic process, and peace, in Myanmar.
China is indeed ready to ride roughshod over regional and global sentiments and to arbitrate with the ASEAN countries on behalf of the military Junta.
Put simply, the Bamboo Capitalist is taking “advantage of Myanmar’s current global adversities” to push ahead with its agenda, reported Poreg.
Keeping the Junta in Naypyidaw in good humour matters. Not the aspirations and well-being of the people of Myanmar, particularly the youth who are baring their chests to the police brutalities.
Both sides spoke highly of the progress made in “practical cooperation” between the two countries and agreed to speed up the construction of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor.
The two foreign ministers also decided to ensure the smooth operation of the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines and to implement a cross-border power grid deal.
And resolved to discuss the “China-Myanmar Economic Corridor Plus” cooperation at an appropriate time to elevate bilateral cooperation.
As noted at the outset, this interaction betrayed the expectations of global observers as well as other Lancang-Mekong Cooperation member-nations, reported Poreg.
The Myanmar military Junta has created one of the biggest human catastrophes since it overthrew a democratically elected government more than a year ago.
As of June 2022, about 2000 protestors were killed. About 11000 democracy campaigners are languishing in jails.
The Junta has let loose a reign of repression to crush the “spring revolution”, the popular name for democratic protests.
Brute state power is on display with internet and social media blackouts, arrests on the charge of spreading disinformation and deployment of ‘instigators’ to engage in bloody clashes with pro-democracy protestors, reported Poreg.
Yet, China is unwilling to look beyond its strategic interests in Myanmar. It has quietly replaced the phrase, ‘Pauk-Phaw’ in Sino-Myanmar ties with ‘Pragmatism’. And is pursuing ‘pro-active’ relations with the junta.
‘Pauk-Phaw’ is a Myanmarese term that means ‘fraternal’, and it is often used to describe relations between siblings.
Wang Yi commended “Pauk-Phaw” friendship and highlighted the four pillars of China-Myanmar relations, namely, political trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, people-to-people bonds and mutual learning in culture. He made no reference, however, to the democratic aspirations of the Myanmarese people. And was silent on the brutality of the military regime against its own people.
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