What Mighty China Can Learn from Burma

What Mighty China Can Learn from Burma

Tiny Burma (Myanmar) has just taught China, its giant neighbor and erstwhile mentor, a lesson in political maturity. It has allowed Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate held under house arrest for years, to travel to Oslo, Norway to finally receive the prize she was awarded in 1991.

 

Even more significantly, over the preceding months the Burmese government relaxed its repressive control over freedom of expression and political activity. It permitted free parliamentary elections which enabled Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party to win all 44 seats it contested.

 

It is all part of a political maturation process, skillfully nudged and nurtured by the Bush and Obama administrations, to wean the military government away from Beijing's authoritarian model.

 

China has long held sway in Burma because of its proximity and size, and its ability to deploy economic resources to sustain the regime's dictatorial hold on power. Most importantly, it has provided diplomatic cover for the junta on the United Nations Security Council and has lobbied on Burma's behalf at international organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

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