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Archive for the ‘China’ Category

China backs off on Myanmar

In China, Myanmar (Burma), Russia on October 12, 2007 at 11:53 am

One day after endorsing a unanimous United Nations security council resolution urging Myanmar to rein in its violent tactics and engage in genuine dialogue with political opposition, China’s foreign minister said Myanmar’s political issues are purely its own.

Yesterday’s non-binding resolution was the first action taken by the security council in response to Myanmar’s violent repression of pro-democracy protests last that brought hundreds of thousands into the streets last month.

At least 10 people were killed and hundreds arrested and taken to secret camps around the country. The Democratic Voice of Burma, an opposition radio station operating from Norway, says that a 48-year-old political activist, U Than Aung, has died from being beaten while in custody.

Even before today’s backing off, China and Russia were instrumental in watering down yesterday’s resolution, stripping away language about releasing political prisoners.

Back in January, the two countries cast a rare double veto on a resolution that called for roughly the same thing.

China and Russia both have enormous investments with the junta that runs Myanmar, from gas exploration interests to billions of dollars of military technology. Russia has repeatedly attempted to sell a light nuclear reactor to the Myanmar government.

China, Russia, undermine UN condemnation of crackdown

In China, India, Myanmar (Burma), Russia on September 27, 2007 at 2:06 pm

China and Russia have blocked a UN security council effort to condemn the violent repression of protestors in Myanmar (also known as Burma).

Wang Guangya, the Chinese ambassador to the UN, said that Myanmar’s problems are its own, and that a UN statement of condemnation would not be useful.

Any recognition by the security council that the violence in Myanmar could have repercussions beyond its borders could lead to severe measures being taken by the UN against its military dictatorship.

Myanmar is effectively a client state of China, which has poured billions of dollars into the country in the form of arms, naval installations and infrastructure since the current government came to power in a 1988 coup.

Russia also has investments in Myanmar. It signed a deal in May to build a nuclear reactor there.

India, Myanmar’s other big neighbor and trading partner, was conspicuously silent until yesterday, when it released a carefully worded statement saying that it hopes for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Myanmar.

These latest pro-democracy demonstrations began last month over fuel prices, but they have grown to express a more general dissatisfaction with the government. Tens of thousands of protestors, led by Buddhist monks, marched again today in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city.

At least six protestors were killed by the government yesterday, and hundreds of monks and civilians have been arrested and beaten since the protests began.