China will maintain friendship with both junta, ethnic groups

Written by Hseng Khio Fah

Thursday, 23 September 2010 17:16

So far China has yet to neglect ceasefire groups that are based along its southwestern border
because they are like the fence of its country. As such she therefore will maintain her friendly
relations with both the ruling junta and the ceasefire groups, according to Chinese security
officials and border watchers from the Sino-Burma border.

“Up to date, our policy on ceasefire groups is unchanged. We will try our utmost to preserve our
friendship with both the military junta and the ceasefire groups,” a Chinese officer told SHAN.

“Looking back to several instances that took place in the past between the Burma Army and
China, we can say that the junta has shown itself to be far from being trustworthy,” he said.

·         The first momentous instance was the incident in 1967 which dozens of Chinese people
were killed during the Mao Zedong badge riots.

·         Likewise, more than 100 ethnic Chinese were massacred by the Burma Army in the
Mongkoe incident that took place in 2000. (On 24 October 2000, a faction of the Mongkoe
Defense Army (MDA), a breakaway group from Kokang, had mutinied. A month later, the
mutineers were executed, the MDA leader Mong Sala put in jail and the territory occupied by
the Burma Army.)

·         Again, thousands of Chinese people were harassed by the junta military during last year’s
fighting in Kokang.( In August 2009, Kokang was attacked and occupied by Burma Army, about
200 people were killed in the attack and over 30,000 refugees fled to China.)

·         Another example was a promotion of Brig-Gen Aung Kyaw Zaw, former commander of
Light Infantry Division (LID) 33, which had participated in the Kokang fighting. “He is the one
that the Chinese authorities were not fond of as he did many ghastly things to Chinese people.
But he was still promoted as the regional commander,” he said. “It means the Burma Army does
not care about our concerns.”

One officer said the military regime took advantage on Beijing’s words out of context referring to
the junta owned newspaper ‘The New Light of Myanmar’ report on 12 September that China’s
President Hu Jintao had promised that China will not support any group that will create
anti-government activities along their shared border. “The junta is just putting these words into
our mouths for its own agenda,” he commented.

One analyst agreed with the officer’s comment. “Before the United Wa State Army (UWSA) had
only 5 armored personnel carriers, but now they have more than 10 of them.  Likewise, the
number of anti-aircrafts SAM 11 has increased,” he said. “Those things don’t fall from the sky.”

Concerning to China’s policy, most people say that Beijing, the central government and Yunnan
provisional government’s policies are somewhat different. But to one border watcher, it is the
same “that is we are friends to today’s Burma government and tomorrow’s Burma government.”

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China will maintain friendship with both junta, ethnic groups

Written by Hseng Khio Fah

Thursday, 23 September 2010 17:16

“The difference is not between central and provincial,” he said, “but between different
departments.”

The main difference however is between the law enforcement and national security
departments. “The police see the ceasefire groups as problem makers, drug producers and
arms dealers who are destabilizing the border,” said an analyst.

Both the security and analysts see little likelihood of hostilities breaking out during the election
period. “Military preparations will continue. The groups will be under siege,” said one. “But if
there is a military operation, it will take place either far away from the border or if the target can
be swiftly occupied.”

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