US, CHINA and MYANMAR, for your pleasure reading
- From: mogyothwar <zizawar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 03:23:56 -0800 (PST)
China says no to pressure on Myanmar
CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press Writer
BEIJING - China on Tuesday rejected U.S. demands for stepped-up
pressure on Myanmar, whose governing junta has been accused of
spurning real dialogue with the pro-democracy opposition.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said China wanted to see
stability, democracy and development in the country also known as
Burma.
However, Jiang urged the international community to be "objective when
viewing the Myanmar situation ... and provide constructive
assistance."
China objects to Western criticisms of the military regime, claiming
that conditions in Myanmar have improved dramatically since a violent
crackdown on peaceful protests in September.
"I don't think sanctions are helpful," Jiang told reporters at a
regularly scheduled news conference.
Myanmar's military rulers say 10 people were killed when civilians and
Buddhist monks were beaten and arrested after pro-democracy
demonstrations following a sharp fuel price hike. Diplomats and
dissidents put the toll much higher.
Jiang's comments come a day after a senior U.S. official urged the
international community to put more pressure on the junta, and said
Washington had asked China to help arrange for a new visit to Myanmar
by U.N. Security Council envoy Ibrahim Gambari to help push for
national reconciliation.
They also follow a meeting in Beijing between senior Chinese foreign
policy adviser Tang Jiaxuan and Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U
Maung Myint.
China's official Xinhua News Agency said U Maung Myint told Tang that
Myanmar was "making efforts to realize national reconciliation and
accelerate democratic progress."
Jiang said China supported Gambari's work and wanted a timetable set
for his next visit to Myanmar. Gambari had wanted to visit later this
month, but received a letter from Myanmar's government requesting that
he come in April.
China is one of Myanmar's biggest trading partners and closest
diplomatic allies. Other nations have repeatedly expressed hopes
Beijing would leverage those ties to press the junta to open a
dialogue with the opposition.
Beijing has shown little willingness to do so, although in October,
China joined other Security Council members in calling on the regime
to release political prisoners and improve human rights.
Washington has placed economic sanctions on Myanmar that include a
complete ban on the import of the country's products and the freezing
of some junta officials' financial assets in U.S. territories.
China, however, has moved to step up economic links, including
development of natural gas deposits in the Bay of Bengal.
Last month, China National Petroleum Corp., the country's biggest oil
and gas producer, took a further step toward building a pipeline to
transport oil from Myanmar's western port of Sittwe to the
southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan//
END OF THE NEWS.
.
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