Chinese FM spox dodges question on warning from Ruili security body to TNLA

By Admin 31 Aug 2024

DMG Newsroom
31 August 2024, Sittwe

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian was evasive when asked to respond to a warning issued by China's Ruili City Security Committee to the ethnic Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) on Thursday.

The warning, which went viral on social media on Friday, told the TNLA to "immediately stop fighting and cooperate with China in maintaining peace and stability in northern Shan State and along the China-Myanmar border."

"Otherwise, the consequences will be yours," it warned.

According to a transcript published by Chinese state media, an exchange in response to that played out as follows when asked by an AFP reporter.

AFP: Some media in Myanmar have reported that the Chinese side has warned the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) to stop fighting in the North close to the Chinese border. Can you confirm that China has told the TNLA to stop fighting and what is the situation on the border at the moment?

Lin Jian: China is closely following the situation in Myanmar and the developments of the conflict in northern Myanmar, and has been working to promote peacetalks and ceasefire. As Myanmar's biggest neighboring country, China has all along sincerely hoped that Myanmar will achieve stability and development, and has worked actively to this end. China will continue to play a constructive role for Myanmar's peace and reconciliation process and promote the deescalation in northern Myanmar.

Politicians have criticised China for its failure to address the threatening language used by a local governing body on the TNLA to stop the fighting.

"Last time, a ceasefire was reached under pressure from China. Then, it told both sides, and both sides stopped the fighting. But it is pressuring and threatening only one side. The regime violated the ceasefire by conducting artillery strikes. This fact must be taken into consideration," said a political analyst.

Together with its two allies - the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army - the TNLA launched a large-scale offensive known as Operation 1027 in northern Shan State near the Chinese border in late October. The fighting came to a halt in mid-January after China brokered a ceasefire.

The TNLA resumed the offensive in late June, claiming that the regime had repeatedly violated the truce by conducting numerous strikes on its bases and civilian populations. It has seized control of 11 townships in northern Shan State since the fighting in October, and is still fighting the regime.