Blog #6: China Urges Burma to Secure Border, Infrastructure Projects

(Sidenote): Before I start this particular blog, I wanted to explain something that I know has been a little confusing. While talking about the issues in Mayanmar/Burma, I and some other readers, seemed to be confused about the interchangeability of these country names. However, once I looked at a map, I saw why. Burma and Mayanmar are the same place. It is the same country. 

China is continuing to push for peace in Burma. The Chinese government is specifically concerned with the security of it's border with Burma because of the number of refugees crossing it for safety. The Burmese Lower House Speaker, Shwe Mann, was in China for a five-day visit and although his visit was to check on the infrastructure projects China is funding in the Burma, it was also to express the feelings of the Chinese government on the conflict in Northern Burma. 

Finding peace between the Kachin rebels, Kachin Independence Army (KIA), and the Burmese is not only of interest to Burma, but China as well. If the peace in kept in the country then things will run smoother. China will not have to worry about refugees flooding it's boarders and instability due to the level of conflict in the country. In order to help stop conflict, China has hosted sessions, kind of like mediations, with the KIA and the Burmese government did not end with a brighter look for the future in Burma. Which essentially means that the KIA declared that they were not giving up on their fight for independence, even though President Thein Sein declared otherwise to the world. He pledged that he would end the ethnic conflict and bring peace to all the ethnic people along the boarders of Burma. None of what he pledged is happening. Even so, China has said it would provide some aid to those who are fleeing from Burma because of the ethnic conflict. In my opinion, it is obvious that if the conflict doesn't end soon, Burma's economy will suffer.

The conflict in Burma no longer seems to be solely about gaining independence. It seems to be about proving a point. The conflict is not helping the country and no one seems to be benefitting from the brutal fighting that is taking place in the North. They economy is suffering due to the threat of job loss and so are the people. With tens of thousands of citizens being displaced across Chinese boarders, Burma is losing a lot of it's man power. In turn, this mess could destroy it's economy. 

I'm wondering why the people in power are not as powerful as they think they are. It is obvious that the president has no control over what happens in his country. I would think with Burma being so close to Asia and having close ties with China, it would adapt to some of China's ways when it comes to being a collective society, but the Burmese and the Kachin are extremely independent. They are fueling this conflict on their own and the rules of war are no longer being followed. The biggest question is, who do you listen to when all above are ignored? 

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=23092