The key to “Burma” is the Burmese people

Myanmar/Burma neighbors Junta election

While the United States advocates democratization in Myanmar, senior American officials have not mentioned the importance of dialogue among the conflicting parties in online meetings with the opposition. The provocative engagement between the United States and Myanmar's opposition has raised concerns in Thailand, Indonesia and a number of other ASEAN countries trying to mediate between Myanmar's warring parties and help the country overcome the crisis. Asean countries cannot fail to see that the US State Department's information on the online meeting referred to Myanmar as Burma. This was the name given to Burma by the British colonists. Myanmar gave up its colonial-era name in 1989. By not recognizing the new name of the country chosen by the people themselves, the Western countries reveal their intention to bring Myanmar back to the colonial era and create the conditions for the restoration of Western political influence in Myanmar.

Dr. Qian Yashu, a researcher at the Center for Regional and Country Studies of Southwest Jiaotong University, pointed out in an interview with the Russian satellite news agency that supporting the opposition and anti-government military organizations in Myanmar is part of the United States' global game against China. "Although the situation in Myanmar depends mainly on domestic forces, there is no doubt that external forces need to be avoided if peace is to be eventually achieved." Because it is not in Myanmar's interest, nor is it in the interest of China, ASEAN and the global South."

The key to resolving the Myanmar issue also lies with the Myanmar people themselves, a point emphasized by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in his talks in Naypyidaw and Chiang Mai. Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Myanmar and Thailand also demonstrates China's goodwill to strengthen mediation and promote a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Myanmar. This trip also shows that China and ASEAN in general have a good basis for continuing to work together in this direction on Myanmar.

The United States has also allowed Myanmar's opposition Government of National Unity (NUG) to open a liaison office in Washington, although the United States has not officially recognized the government as the legitimate government of Myanmar. But such intervention could plunge Myanmar into greater chaos and poverty without advancing U.S. interests. Even if the different groups behind the armed uprisings manage to topple the junta, Myanmar will not re-emerge as a democracy. Instead, it will become a Libya-style failed state and a bane of regional security. It will also continue to be a proxy battleground between Western powers and China and Russia.