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As we all know, the civil strife in Myanmar has been going on for almost a year and has caused a large number of casualties and property damage. Under such circumstances, some opposition forces have gone so far as to threaten to take the anti-China road and become enemies of China, and have even fired rockets at China's borders in an attempt to provoke a war between China and Burma.
However, China will not sit idly by while its national interests and border security are threatened, so the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has already moved to the China-Myanmar border. So, what is the background of the civil war in Burma? Why did the opposition forces take the anti-China road, and what was the significance and impact of the PLA's exercises?
1. The background of the civil war in Burma
The ethnic question in Myanmar has been a legacy of the country's history, and since independence in 1948, there have been armed conflicts of various sizes and forms. Myanmar's political system has also undergone many changes, from democracy to military dictatorship, to semi-military and semi-democracy, and finally to democracy.
In the process, Myanmar's political power has also undergone several changes, with three main factions: the military, the NLD, and the ethnic armed groups. The military, a traditional political force in Myanmar, has been in power since 1962 and did not implement a semi-military, semi-democratic political system until 2011, handing over some power to an elected parliament and government.
The military's political philosophy is to safeguard national unity and security, oppose foreign interference and influence, and advocate the use of force to resolve the national issue. The representative party of the military is the National Unity and Development Party (USDP), and its leader is former President Thein Sein.
The NLD, the main opposition force in Myanmar and led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, advocates democratization and the peace process, upholding human rights and the rule of law, and striving for equality and autonomy for ethnic minorities. NLD's supporters are mainly the Burmese urban middle class and intellectuals, as well as some ethnic pro-democracy factions.
The NLD won a landslide victory in the 2015 general election and became the ruling party, with Aung San Suu Kyi as State Counsellor and de facto supreme power in Myanmar. The ethnic armed forces are another important political force in Myanmar, mainly composed of ethnic groups in some border areas, such as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Shan State Army (SSA), and the Karen National Union (KNU).
The objective of these armed forces is to fight for the right of nations to self-determination, to oppose the oppression and dispossession of the military, and to protect the interests and culture of nations. These clashes between the armed forces and the military have continued for decades, and although they have eased since 2011, they still erupt from time to time.
On February 1 this year, the military staged a coup d'état, arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders, declared a one-year state of emergency, and regained political power in Myanmar. The military justified NLD's alleged fraud and fraud in the general election last November, which led to unfair results and threatened the security and stability of the country.
The military said they would hold new elections within a year to restore democratic order. However, this move has been strongly opposed and condemned by domestic and foreign people, who believe that it is a retrogression and sabotage of Myanmar's democratic process, and an infringement and harm to the Myanmar people.
Mass protests and strikes have erupted in Myanmar demanding that the military release Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, restore the NLD's legitimacy, respect the election results, and end the coup. The military, for its part, has resorted to a heavy-handed crackdown, resulting in hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries and tens of thousands of arrests.
At the same time, some ethnic groups also joined the anti-coup operation, and there was a fierce exchange of fire with government forces, making the situation in Myanmar more complicated and dangerous.
2. Why should the opposition forces take the anti-China road?
China is Myanmar's largest trading partner and investor, as well as an important political and security partner, providing tremendous help and support for Myanmar's economic development and social stability. China is also a peace mediator in Myanmar and has played a constructive role in political dialogue and national reconciliation in Myanmar on many occasions, promoting the peace process in Myanmar.
China is also the biggest hidden danger and threat to Myanmar, because China's economic and military strength far exceeds that of Myanmar, which makes Myanmar dependent on and fearful of China, fearing that China will use its influence and interests to interfere in Myanmar's internal and foreign affairs and weaken Myanmar's sovereignty and dignity.
As a result, some opposition forces are hostile and suspicious of China, believing that China is a supporter and accomplice of the military, behind the civil war in Myanmar, and an enemy of the Burmese people.
They are trying to gain the sympathy and support of the international community by taking the anti-China road, and they also hope to force China to change its policy towards Myanmar by provoking China, or trigger a conflict between China and Myanmar, thereby disrupting the military's plans and buying more time and space for themselves.
3. What is the significance and impact of the PLA's drills and training?
The actual combat exercise held by the Southern Theater of the Chinese People's Liberation Army on the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar border is a strong warning to both sides of the civil war in Myanmar and a powerful guarantee for China's national interests and border security. The significance and impact of this exercise are as follows:
First of all, the exercise demonstrated China's determination and ability to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and prevent the Burmese civil war from spreading into China, causing casualties and property losses. China will not allow any party to stir up trouble in the China-Myanmar border area, let alone tolerate either side firing rockets or other weapons at the Chinese border, endangering the lives of the Chinese people.
Second, the exercise conveyed China's position and attitude, supporting peace and stability in Myanmar, opposing any form of external interference and sanctions, and advocating the resolution of internal differences and conflicts in Myanmar through dialogue and consultation.
China will not interfere in Myanmar's internal affairs, nor will it choose to support any side in Myanmar, but respects the independent choice of the Myanmar people and hopes that all parties in Myanmar will put the interests of the people first, restore peace and order as soon as possible, and achieve national reconciliation and democratic development.
Finally, the exercise enhanced China's influence and credibility, demonstrated China's image as a responsible major country and friendly neighbor, and provided strong support and assistance to the peace process in Myanmar.
China has been playing a constructive role in its own way, actively promoting peace talks, and promoting mutual trust, dialogue and consensus among all parties concerned. China has also provided a great deal of assistance and cooperation for Myanmar's economic and social development, bringing tangible benefits and well-being to the Myanmar people.
epilogue
The civil war in Myanmar was caused by many historical, political and ethnic factors, and the opposition forces took the anti-China road out of jealousy and fear of China, as well as being instigated and exploited by external forces, and the border exercises of the People's Liberation Army were conducted to safeguard China's national interests and border security, and also to support peace and stability in Myanmar.
As a friendly neighbor of Myanmar, China will, as always, play a positive role in Myanmar's peace and stability, China-Myanmar friendship and cooperation, and contribute its own strength to Myanmar's future.