Chinese president Xi Jinping is going to visit Myanmar soon, when the two country is about to celebrate 70 years of close relationship. His visit is coincident with the hardship, Myanmar is facing internationally and internally, including the genocide lawsuit at ICJ. Voice Of Myanmar’s editor Ko Aung Htoo Naing meet with U Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of National League for democracy party NLD, asking for his opinions and NLD party’s view on China-Myanmar relationship.
VOM: What are the view of the NLD party on the result of ICJ.
U Myo Nyunt : ICJ’s decision will affect a lot on the country. Especially, it will affect on the dignity of the country. Moreover, it will greatly effect on the foreign investment. However, we need to keep in mind that these difficulties should be overcome with the unity between us, the ethnics and every institution and organization. ICJ incident show us that we cannot do as we wish and saying this is an internal matter. General Aung San once told that if we do like that, we will face the international pressure. The ICJ incident is the alarm for the country to work more transparently and to follow the international standards when it comes with human rights and humanitarian issue.
VOM: The supports from the International community on the country’s democratization is decreasing. Do you think it is because the international community is losing trust on the government?
U Myo Nyunt: Myanmar has weakness on the governance. Because, in the governance of the country, there still are the involvement and influences of the military. This still affect the government administration as well as the dignity of the country. This is the internal affairs. And the external affairs the country facing currently is the border problem at Rakhine state. The illegal migrant issue has been there for decades. The government has formed a committee lead by Kofi Annan to solve this issue. However, the problem is so complicated that the committee could not solve this in short time. This issue is also relating with the national security that the committee has to cooperate with the military. In some cases there are delay and unsuccessful process due to the failure of negotiation with the military. We also need not to underestimate the international community. There are the supporters for Gambia, such as OIC and many other human rights groups and western countries which are rich and has powers. Some of them has great propaganda scales which could manipulate the truth. One will think the thing they see most as the truth. So, the ICJ might decide Myanmar is guilty. Whatever the decision of the ICJ, we, the citizen face the situation with unity will overcome the hardships.
VOM: If the western countries impose the sanction on Myanmar, how do you think on which country Myanmar will rely and depend on? Would it be depend only on China, the neighboring super power country?
UMN: If we look at the trip abroad of the State Counselor, you will see that she is building up the foreign relationship with many countries. China is the biggest neighboring country for Myanmar. And most of our economic, trade, social and culture were related to this country as well. For Myanmar, it has to join hand with China for sure. However, Myanmar will not reach to the state that has to depend only on China.
VOM: There were many trips and visits to China by the NLD members in recent years. Are there any plans or agreements between the leaders of NLD and Chinese authorities on the possible projects or plans?
UMN: China has great influence on Myanmar on economic and trade sector, as well as social and politic. The Chinese authorities might have the negotiations and agreements for the project. But for us, we send our member there, only to built the friendship as a political party of the country, that we didn’t discuss about the country’s economic or the projects.
VOM: What are the opinions of NLD over the national projects of China in Myanmar.
UMN: We want all of the projects should be only for the interest of the citizen of Myanmar. Any projects, plans or any kind of investment should come with responsibilities. We’ve told them [Chinese Authorities] already.
VOM: Before the State Counselor lead Myanmar delegation to ICJ, the Chinese minister of foreign affair coincidently visited Myanmar. In your opinion, what do you think about the visit?
UMN: I think they are trying to show their support to Myanmar. However, they didn’t voice any about this ICJ issue that only he [the Chinese minister] will know the reason of his visit. On the other hand, the Japanese Ambassador is the one who talk about this openly that Japan will support Myanmar whatever decision the ICJ would made.
VOM: The peace process of the country is somehow depending on China. Do you think the influence of China is important for the peace process?
UMN: The peace process is the situation which come with the history. We need to handle the issue moderately. For sustainable peace, it is important to have trust within the ethnic people and every institution.
VOM: Currently in the parliament, the NLD party has 75 percent seat and military has 25 percent. Can the NLD representatives implement the issues that could be done by that 75 percent?
UMN: There are many issues that the NLD could do within the ability of the 75 percent. And yet, there are many limitations. And there are also many things which the NLD could not do. The 25 percent [the military] is not only in the parliament. There are three ministries which directly under the military. Moreover, we should not forget that the biggest and strongest businessmen of the country are the military supporters. There still are many problems of the land confiscated and owned by the ex-military leaders, which remain unsolved. For us, we still are working on how to solve those issues without affecting the national reconciliation.
NLD begin the government works starting from 2015 after the election. If we were elected again in 2020, we could work more effectively than the past five years.
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