Wen Jiabao talks ethnic and election issues with Than Shwe

By Wai Moe

Although no official announcement of the discussions is expected to be made, diplomatic sources said that when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with Burma's junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe in Naypyidaw on Thursday, Wen Jiabao brought up both Burma's announced election and ethnic issues surrounding the Sino-Burmese border.

The state media of Burma and China did not mention any political issues in reporting on both Wen Jiabao's agenda and his discussions with Burmese officials, but diplomatic sources in Burma said that the Chinese premier spoke to Than Shwe about inclusiveness in Burma's 2010 elections and stability in the border areas.

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When contacted by The Irrawaddy, the Chinese embassy in Rangoon neither confirmed nor denied reports of discussions on these two issues, both sensitive topics for Burma's military regime.

In the past, Beijing was seen as unwilling to even privately discuss sensitive political issues with the junta that did not directly involve Chinese interests.

But observers say that following the junta's September 2007 crackdown against the mass demonstrations and the August 2009 Kokang offensive, which resulted in an exodus of refugees into China, the relationship between Beijing and Naypyidaw has changed, with China becoming a relatively “more responsible” partner which is willing, at least privately, to criticize the regime.

Analysts believe that Wen Jiabao’s comments to Than Shwe regarding Burma’s election repeated the position of the international community reflected in a statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon following a March 25 meeting in New York of the “Group of Friends on Burma,” which consists of 17 countries including China, India and the United States, as well as the leadership of the European Union.

“The Group stressed the need for elections to be inclusive, participatory and transparent in order to advance the prospects of stability, democracy and development for all the people of Myanmar [Burma],” said Ban Ki-moon.

This call was similar to the message that Wen Jiabao previously communicated to Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein in a bilateral meeting held during the 15th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in October 2009.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site, Wen Jiabao told Thein Sein at the time that China hoped Burma “will achieve stability, national reconciliation and development.”

With respect to discussions between Wen Jiabao and Than Shwe regarding ethnic issues related to the Sino-Burmese border, there has been no word of what message Wen Jiabao communicated. But there was a public report on the issue following Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's visit to Burma in December.

“China believes the Myanmar side would settle the relevant problems through peaceful ways such as dialogues and consultation so as to guarantee the stability in its border area with China,” China’s Xinhua news agency then quoted Xi Jinping as saying.

At the time, official Burmese sources in Naypyidaw said the regime's top generals were angry at this public statement by Xi Jinping.

Although Beijing publicly proclaims that it avoids interfering in other country's internal affairs, analysts said China has often, directly or indirectly, involved itself in Burma's internal affairs during their 60-year relationship.

Following the 1967 riot against minority Chinese living in Burma, the ruling Chinese Communist Party provided military and logistic support to Communist Party of Burma (CPB) troops. When Deng Xiaoping took over the Chinese leadership in 1981, Beijing organized a failed dialogue between the Burmese communists and the Burmese regime of late dictator Ne Win.

In 1989, observers said China played a significant role in the uprising of ethnic troops within the CPB against its leadership, which led to ceasefire agreements between former CPB ethnic troops and the Burmese junta, as well as the boosting of border trade between the two countries.

Reference:

This is from the Irrawaddy by the author Wai Moe.

My opinion:

This is disgusting! When China includes, there is no good for Burmese civilians but only for the junta and China.