On Saturday, September 14th, more than fifty Burmese-Americans gathered in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C., protesting against the alleged Chinese interference in Myanmar’s internal affairs and human rights violations.
This protest is part of the global actions by the Burmese diaspora, calling on China to withdraw its support for the military government in Myanmar and respect the will of the people. Since the military coup in February 2021, the people of Myanmar have been fighting for democracy.
The protesters waved banners with phrases such as “Reject the false elections of the military government” and “Support the people of Myanmar.”
The protest activity was triggered by a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar the previous Saturday. The statement claimed that China did not interfere in Myanmar’s internal affairs and would continue to promote peace and stability.
Yin Aye, a protest leader who has been organizing demonstrations in the Washington D.C. area since the coup in 2021, stated, “We refuse to accept the Chinese embassy’s claim that they have not interfered in Myanmar’s internal affairs. They must stop supporting false elections, truly pressure the military, to stop causing so much pain to our people before we can believe them.”
Yin Aye highlighted the close relationship between China and the Myanmar military government, as well as Chinese intervention in the actions of ethnic minority resistance forces in northern Shan State, actions that have drawn widespread criticism from the people of Myanmar and democratic groups.
On August 29th, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), a minority ethnic armed group fighting against the military government in northeastern Myanmar, stated that they received a letter from Chinese authorities threatening them to stop their offensive in northern Shan State or face consequences.
Northern Shan State is a key location for China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
During a routine press briefing at the end of August, when asked about the letter, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied that Beijing had sent the letter.
Since then, Burmese diaspora communities have intensified their protests outside Chinese embassies worldwide, accusing China of supporting the military coup in Myanmar.
In July, Burmese protesters in Washington, New York, San Francisco, London, and Tokyo held demonstrations outside Chinese embassies and consulates.
In the Washington protest in July, demonstrators attempted to deliver an open letter to Chinese authorities urging Beijing to stop supporting the military government in Myanmar. However, the letter went unanswered.
Myanmar activists have stated that their recent weeks of protest activities have been closely monitored by the Chinese Embassy in Washington.
The Burmese diaspora believes that China’s support for the Myanmar military not only goes against the will of the people but also encourages the military to commit war crimes, including aerial bombings and attacks on internally displaced people.
Hla Kyaw Zaw, a senior observer of Myanmar-China relations, mentioned that after the coup in February 2021, China sent senior officials to Myanmar to promote peace and sponsored mediation talks between the government and armed ethnic groups. However, shortly after, state-run Xinhua News Agency described the military takeover and replacement of elected ministers as a “cabinet reshuffle,” avoiding the term “coup” to refrain from condemning the military. In 2022, China abstained from voting on UN Security Council Resolution 2669 calling for an end to violence in Myanmar.
A senior expert on Myanmar-China affairs in Yangon, who preferred not to be named, commented, “It is clear that China wants to control the situation for its own interests.”
In the statement released on Saturday, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar reiterated its so-called position of “non-interference” and continued to call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Protesters vowed to continue protesting outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. Yin Aye stated, “We will continue to protest, continue to speak out.”
Protesters also urged China to cut off support for the Myanmar military, including halting the provision of jet fuel and preventing airstrikes on Myanmar civilians.
Amnesty International has documented numerous cases of Myanmar military airstrikes on civilian areas. Activists believe that China’s continued engagement with the Myanmar military government implicates China in these atrocities.
(Reference: Voice of America)