Report on report: China and Myanmar’s Peace Process
The
first thing I would like to say is my sincere thanks to Ms Yun Sun for writing
this report. She certainly knows more than us (that means me) about China, Wa
and the Kachin.
On
China, these are the things I’ve learned:
·
Its official
policy is “persuading for peace and facilitating dialogues”
·
There are certain
Chinese special interest groups and individuals who have offered direct
financial support for ethnic armed organizations in Myanmar:
1.
Yunnan Jingcheng
Group, founded by Jingpo (Kachin) businessman Dong Lecheng. His hotel in Ruili
was the venue for negotiation between Kachin Independence Organization/Army
(KIO/KIA) and the Myanmar government in 2013
2.
Yucheng group, a
private financial company founded by a 34 year old Ding Ning, currently under
criminal investigation, had reportedly provided funding to six armed groups
active on the border: Arakan Army (AA), KIO/KIA, Myanmar National Democratic
Alliance Army (MNDAA),National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Ta’ang National
Liberation Army (TNLA) and United Wa State Army (UWSA)
On Kachin
·
The political and
financial support KIA enjoys from their Chinese Kachin brothers is perhaps the
strongest among all ethnic armed groups. Such strong support carries important sway
in China, because the local governments are keen to pacify ethnic minority
groups for the sake of social stability
·
But China is not
really happy about the KIO/KIA on several factors: Not always supportive of
Chinese investments, maintaining close ties with western countries and
organizations, attempts of “internationalization of the Kachin issue” by
proposing to invite the United States, the UK etc into the peace process, its
radical hardliners opting for independence and “stalling the peace process”
through the alliance under its leadership, the United Nationalities Federal
Council (UNFC)
On Wa
·
Among all the
ethnic groups in Myanmar, UWSA perhaps has the closest ties with and elicits
the most sympathy from China, to the extent that some local officials regard
UWSA as China’s “illegitimate child”
·
China will not
push UWSA to quit the peace process; however, neither will it push UWSA to
embrace by any settlement it is unwilling to accept. In the view of both China
and UWSA, such an imposed settlement would be fragile, unsustainable, and only
live likely to cause greater instability in the future
·
China supports
the tacit leadership role of UWSA among the ethnic armed groups in northern
Myanmar
·
Chinese
authorities seem to tolerate Wa’s illicit economy, including drug trafficking
and casinos, for revenue, and instead pursue tighter law enforcement within
China to combat the crimes
Other
than these six groups, according to her, the Shan State Army North and Shan
State Army South also matter to China even though they are farther south from
the border. However, compared to other groups, why they matter so much is
something the author has only a few general answers, such as their stand on the
NCA and cooperation with the government military, which “affect the unity and
politics of ethnic armed groups”. For example, the current hostilities between
the SSA South and the TNLA.
My
thought is that perhaps Ms Yun Sun would like to find out more. And it wouldn’t
have been difficult for a researcher of her stature to do that.
A great country is like the lowland toward which all streams flow.
Hence, if a great country can lower itself before a small country, it will win
over the small country; and if a small country can lower itself before a great
country, it will win over the great country. The one wins by stooping; the
other by remaining low.
Chapter
61, Dao De Jing, by Lao Zi
Author: Yun Sun, Henry L. Stimson Center
Publisher: United States Institute of Peace
Tags: Opinion
