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VOA news (r)
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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