Demonstrations in Burma have become increasingly violent, with confrontations between Burmese protesters and brutal crackdowns by authorities. On Sunday, March 14, at least 74 protesters were killed, and on Monday, March 15, another 20 were killed. The anger of the Burmese protesters is gaining momentum, and they are venting their anger on Chinese as well as Chinese factories in Burma because they believe the Chinese government is behind the military Burma. 32 Chinese factories destroyed and set on fire On Sunday.
March 14, at least 32 Chinese factories in Hlaing Tharyar district on the outskirts of Rangoon were attacked and burned by Burmese protesters. Burmese authorities open fire, killing at least 22 people. In all, on Sunday, March 14, 74 Burmese protesters were killed across the country, as of the day of the protests in early February, about 180 Burmese had died in the crackdown.
As anger escalated, it is observed that Chinese people or Chinese businesses in Burma have become the subject of angry protests. On Monday, March 15, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the Chinese government was closely monitoring the situation, calling on Chinese living in Burma to be vigilant. Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called on the Burmese authorities to protect the security of the companies as well as the Chinese people.
According to the Chinese newspaper Global Times, the damage of Chinese factories are estimated at $ 32 million. Taiwan fears protesters mistaken for Chinese Taiwan Foreign Ministry has also instructed its citizens who have shops or factories in Burma to put the Taiwanese flag and a sign on the front to prove they are Taiwanese, not Chinese. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry says at least 10 Taiwanese were detained on Sunday (March 14th) by Burmese protesters. At least 270 Taiwanese companies are doing business in Myanmar in the textile and banking sectors.
It should be noted that since the coup on February 1, the Taiwanese government has immediately issued a statement condemning this position, which is very different from the Chinese government in Beijing. Burmese believe China supports martial law More and more Burmese believed that China has a vague position. Others believed that the Burmese military, claiming to have a Chinese backing, dared to stage a coup without fear of Western sanctions and condemnation.
Violence against Chinese companies in recent days has highlighted the tendency of the Burmese people to become angry at Chinese interests. Opposition activist Maung Zarni took to Twitter to compare the situation in Burma to Syria. In Syria, there is Russia to help the dictator Bashar al-Assad, and in Burma, there is China to support General Min Aung Lan’s military regime. Observing that the peaceful demonstrations were ineffective and resulted in the massacre of so many people, the Burmese protesters seemed to be changing their strategy of choosing to fight with fearless force.
An opposition activist, the deputy chairman of the unofficially formed parliamentary committee of the Burmese parliament, called on all Burmese people to take part in a revolution to overthrow the military dictatorship. Indeed, there is growing concern that the unrest could turn into a civil war in Burma, which could seriously affect Chinese business and interests in Burma, and could even upset ASEAN.
For now, in public, China has always called on all Burmese political parties to negotiate peacefully. But the truth is, no one knows exactly where China stands. Sooner or later, China will have to decide whether to choose a party to protect its interests.
