“When western countries impose targeted sanctions or take other steps to promote human rights and democracy in Burma, China complains”, writes Burma Campaign UK’s Director Mark Farmaner in Labour Hub. “Western countries are interfering in the internal affairs of another country, they say.
“China interferes in the internal affairs of Burma more than any country since British colonial occupation. They arm the Burmese military and they fund the Burmese military. At the same time, China destabilises the Burmese military by selectively arming some ethnic armies on the China-Burma border which administer autonomous areas. They want a subservient ally, not an all-powerful one.
“China decided that the Burmese military would be most subservient to their interests, and swung behind them, cutting off arms to the resistance and, of all things, telling the Burmese military they had to hold elections.
“The British government must lead in not only rejecting these elections, but the Chinese-backed military-installed regime which will follow.”