In China the EU’s special envoy to Myanmar meets with government officials, who reaffirm: Burma is an “internal affair” we will not intervene. But Beijing is considered the only power capable of putting pressure on Naypydaw. And until now only superficial advances have been obtained in negotiations with the generals.

Beijing (AsiaNews) – China has reaffirmed its staunch “no” to interfering in the Burmese crises to push for democratic reform, to the European Union. This was the outcome of the two day visit to Beijing by the EU’s special envoy to Myanmar, Piero Fassino, who met with the assistant Foreign Minister, He Yafei, and chief of the Communist Party’s International Department Wang Jiarui, in Beijing between December 18 and 19.  The goal of the trip, win over the Asian giants’ support in resolving the current crises in former Burma.  China is one of the few allies of the Naypydaw regime and is considered the only power really capable of influencing the policies of top general Than Shwe.  

However, Beijing has always maintained – to the UN, EU and ASEAN - that the issue of the violent repression of the peaceful protests led by Buddhist Bonzi in September was an “internal affair”, the solution of which lies with the “Burmese people”.  “During my meetings – declared the EU envoy – the Chinese authorities clarified that the future of Burma lies in the hands of the people themselves”.  Despite this Fassino maintains that China’s intervention is “fundamental”.  He recalled the “important role” played by China during the initial stages of the crises, which led to talks between the UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari and members of the junta, as well as the appointment of Aung Kyi as minister for relations with the democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held under house arrest for years.

 

It is a pity that both of these “successes” have revealed themselves to be inconsistent and superficial at best.  The UN’s requests, among them the release of Suu Kyi and the launching of a process for National reconciliation, were only partly acted upon: the Noble prize winner is still under arrest, while the junta has warned that work on the new Constitution will not involve the opposition.   Nyan Win, spokesman for Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, has also denounced a deadlock in negotiations between Aung Kyi and the  “Lady”. Following the first three encounters, there have so far been no further developments on a programme for talks in the immediate future, neither on an agenda.

 

Following an initial refusal in 2007, Fassino has requested the Burmese authorities to allow him visit the nation between February and March next.  The generals have yet to answer.

 

 

 

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• myanmar
• eu
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• asean
• burma
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• suu
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• fassino
• ibrahim
• gambari