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BEIJING: The military coup and unrest in Myanmar “are not what China wants to see at all,” the Chinese ambassador to the Southeast Asian country said in remarks released on Tuesday (February 16).
Envoy Chen Hai’s comments come as protests against the coup intensify in Myanmar and the military intensifies efforts to quell the opposition, with hundreds of detainees since taking power on February 1.
“We became aware of the internal dispute in Myanmar regarding the elections for some time, but we were not informed in advance of the political change,” Chen said in comments posted on the website of the Chinese embassy in Myanmar.
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Traditional allies of Myanmar’s armed forces, such as China and Russia, had previously rejected international protests over the coup, calling it interference in the country’s “internal affairs.”
Chinese state media previously described the coup and the arrest of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi as “a major cabinet reshuffle,” launching euphemisms to avoid labeling the situation a coup.
But in remarks released Tuesday, Chen said: “The current development in Myanmar is not at all what China wants to see.”
He added that China hopes that all parties can handle the differences properly, while maintaining political and social stability.
Chen said the recent UN Security Council press release calling for reconciliation and the immediate release of all detainees “reflects the common position of the international community, including China.”
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The army has justified its seizure of power by alleging widespread electoral fraud in the November elections won by Aung San Suu Kyi’s party.
In the two weeks since the generals toppled Aung San Suu Kyi and placed the civilian leader under house arrest in the administrative capital, Naypyidaw, both large cities and isolated village communities have openly rebelled.
