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DATE=6/6/95
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-30240
TITLE=BURMA / CHINA
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=CHIANG RAI, THAILAND
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

// EDITORS:  ONE OF A SERIES OF REPORTS ON A RECENT CONFERENCE IN
THAILAND SPONSORED BY THE ASIA FOUNDATION AND THAILAND'S 
CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY -- MYANMAR (BURMA) TOWARD THE 21ST 
CENTURY:  DYNAMICS OF CONTINUITY AND CHANGE //

INTRO:  AT A RECENT CONFERENCE HELD IN THE NORTHERN THAI CITY OF 
CHIANG RAI, THE ISSUE OF CHINA'S GROWING INVOLVEMENT IN BURMA WAS
DISCUSSED.  CHINA IS BURMA'S MAIN MILITARY SUPPLIER, AND DESPITE 
CRITICISM OF ITS LINKS WITH THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN RANGOON, 
BEIJING DENIES IT IS TRYING TO USE BURMA AS A TOOL TO EXPAND ITS 
STRATEGIC REACH IN ASIA.  V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON REPORTS A CHINESE 
REPRESENTATIVE ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE DEFENDED BEIJING'S 
POLICIES, WHILE OTHER CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED CONCERN 
ABOUT POSSIBLE CHINA'S INFLUENCE:

TEXT:  MOST CONCERN ABOUT CHINA'S INVOLVEMENT IN BURMA FOCUSES ON
BEIJING'S EXPANDING MILITARY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RULING JUNTA 
IN RANGOON.  PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCE POINTED TO A NUMBER 
OF WIDELY REPORTED DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE LED TO INCREASING 
REGIONAL CONCERN ABOUT CHINA'S ROLE.

ANDREW SELTH, A VISITING FELLOW AT THE STRATEGIC AND DEFENSE 
STUDIES CENTER OF THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, NOTED THAT 
BURMA HAS ACQUIRED AN ESTIMATED ONE-AND-A-HALF BILLION DOLLARS IN
ARMS FROM CHINA.

// OPT // FIGHTER AIRCRAFT, ROCKET LAUNCHERS, ARTILLERY, TANKS, 
COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT, SMALL ARMS AND AMMUNITION -- ALL HAVE 
BEEN PART OF SHIPMENTS DURING THE PAST SIX YEARS.  THE CONFERENCE
WAS TOLD THAT RANGOON HAS PLANS TO EXPAND ITS REGULAR FORCES TO 
500-THOUSAND.

// OPT // MR. SELTH SAID INDIA REMAINS CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE
CHINESE STRATEGIC PUSH TO THE BAY OF BENGAL.  WHETHER THAT HAS 
BEEN EXAGGERATED, HE SAYS, THE PROSPECT HAS INCREASED REGIONAL 
SUSPICIONS IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA. // END OPT //

REPRESENTING BEIJING AT THE CONFERENCE WAS WANG JUN-FU, VICE 
PRESIDENT OF THE CHINA ASSOCIATION FOR INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY 
CONTACT -- A SEMI-OFFICIAL AGENCY OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.  IN 
A FORMAL PAPER, HE SAID CHINA'S INVOLVEMENT IN BURMA STEMS FROM A
NEED TO ENSURE PEACE AND SECURITY ALONG ITS TWO-THOUSAND 
KILOMETER BORDER AND CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL NARCOTICS ACTIVITIES 
LINKED TO SOUTHEAST ASIA'S GOLDEN TRIANGLE AREA.

AS FOR CRITICISMS OF CHINA'S ROLE, AND ALLEGATIONS BEIJING SEEKS 
TO EXPAND ITS MILITARY REACH, MR. WANG DESCRIBED THESE AS 
GROUNDLESS.  HE SAID CHINA MAKES  NO  APOLOGIES FOR ITS ARMS 
SALES TO BURMA, BUT SAID BEIJING HAS NEVER AND WILL  NOT  SEEK 
HEGEMONY. 

MANY ANALYSTS SEE CHINA'S MILITARY SUPPORT, AND ITS SPREADING 
ECONOMIC ROLE, AS GIVING THE RANGOON JUNTA ADDITIONAL REASONS  
NOT  TO COMPROMISE IN ITS STANDOFF WITH DEMOCRACY FIGURE AUNG SAN
SUU KYI.

WITHOUT REFERRING TO HER BY NAME, MR. WANG SAID CHINA AND BURMA 
SHARE SIMILAR VIEWS, INCLUDING THAT WESTERN COUNTRIES SHOULD  NOT
IMPOSE THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC STANDARDS.  HE SAID 
CHINA HOPES FOR A STABLE POLITICAL SITUATION IN BURMA.

IN THE VIEW OF MANY BURMA SCHOLARS, CHINA'S GROWING ECONOMIC 
CONTROL IN BURMA -- SEEN CLEARLY IN  MANDALAY AND THE NORTH BUT 
INCREASINGLY IN RANGOON -- IS ALSO CAUSE FOR CONCERN.

// OPT // MAUREEN AUNG-THWIN, OF THE U-S BASED OPEN SOCIETY 
INSTITUTE, TOLD THE CONFERENCE THAT DESPITE BEING NOMINALLY 
ANTI-COMMUNIST, THE RANGOON JUNTA HAS, IN HER WORDS, LET CHINA 
DOMINATE ITS FLEDGLING MARKET ECONOMY, ALLOWING A MASSIVE 
INFUSION OF INEXPENSIVE GOODS MANUFACTURED IN CHINA'S BOOMING 
SOUTHERN RIM. // END OPT //

ANDREW SELTH SEES RISING OPPOSITION TO CHINESE INFLUENCES.  HE 
LISTS AMONG THE PROBLEMS -- INSENSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND CONSPICUOUS 
WEALTH OF CHINESE TRADERS, DOMINATION OF MARKETS BY CHINESE 
GOODS, AND PLUNDER OF RAW MATERIALS.  THE RANGOON JUNTA, IN HIS 
VIEW, NEEDS TO CAREFULLY BALANCE ITS DEVELOPMENT NEEDS WITH THE 
RISK OF A POPULAR BACKLASH, SUCH AS RIOTS IN RANGOON IN 1967.

BURMA SCHOLAR DAVID STEINBERG DOES  NOT  SEE DISTURBANCES AS 
IMMINENT.  BUT HE SAID (IN A V-O-A INTERVIEW) IT IS A POTENTIAL 
PROBLEM THAT  NOT  ONLY CHINA BUT FOREIGN INVESTORS MUST TAKE 
INTO ACCOUNT:

                       // STEINBERG ACT //

         I DO  NOT  WANT TO SEE THE MIDDLE CLASS BE IDENTIFIED 
         WITH ANY FOREIGN COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT COULD LEAD TO 
         EXACERBATED TENSIONS IN ETHNIC GROUPS AND ALSO, IT COULD
         LEAD TO A RETURN TO THE MORE GOVERNMENT -- CONTROLLED 
         ECONOMIC POLICIES IF THE BURMESE FEEL THAT THEIR ECONOMY
         IS GOING INTO FOREIGN HANDS.

                          // END ACT //

PARTICIPANTS IN THE CHIANG RAI CONFERENCE AGREED THAT CHINA, 
BECAUSE OF ITS VETO POWER IN THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL,
WOULD BE A ROADBLOCK IN ANY ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE ECONOMIC AND TRADE 
SANCTIONS ON BURMA.

AS FOR BEIJING'S VIEW ON CRITICISM OF ITS ROLE IN BURMA, THE 
CONFERENCE WAS TOLD THIS  -- THERE IS A MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN 
BURMA WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR  NOT.   FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS ARE FREE
NOT  TO ACCEPT THAT, BUT CHINA AND BURMA NEED EACH OTHER. 
(SIGNED)

(NOTE:  CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS PROHIBITED TAPING DURING SESSIONS 
AND DISCUSSION.  PAPERS WERE QUOTABLE.  INTERVIEWS OUTSIDE OF 
SESSIONS HAD  NO  RESTRICTIONS)

NEB/DR/CF

06-Jun-95 8:14 AM EDT (1214 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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