October 27
A veteran Burmese politician advised all opposition groups within, without Burma including the National League for Democracy (NLD), to actively seek the ‘sympathy’ of neighbouring government of China as soon as possible.

The veteran said that although Burma’s pro-democracy campaigns have gained ‘full’ supports of western countries, they still need to seek the sympathy of other powerful nations, especially that of neighbouring China. He insisted that Beijing, in particular, needs to be approached while the opposition groups are trying to urge the UN Security Council to discuss Burma’s situation.

His suggestion was also supported by a diplomat based in Rangoon. The diplomat said that Beijing has not been giving full support to and lost faith in Burma’s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) since the ouster of its pro-China Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt in October 2004.

The diplomat cited recent visit of the junta’s new Prime Minister Gen Soe Win to China to attend a regional trade fair which was only attended by vice-ministers of other countries, as an example of the desperate effort of the junta to appease the Chinese leaders in order to maintain their continuing support.