A young Myanmar man is holding a picket with the phrase “Only 700 people died in 70 days. The UN should take it slow. We still have millions of people left.” This picture is spreading rapidly on local social media.[SNS 갈무리]
In Myanmar, where civilian sacrifices by the military are continuing, voices for intervention from the international community, including the UN, are growing. At the same time, the backlash against China, which is passive in intervention, is also increasing.
Paradoxical expression of calling for UN intervention “Millions left”
Opposition to intervention The backlash against China is increasing as well.
On the 12th (local time) in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, protesters wearing headbands that read’R2P’ (responsibility to protect principle) launched a peaceful demonstration with a’three-finger salute’. R2P is the concept that when crimes against humanity such as genocide and racial cleansing occur, the international community can intervene if the sovereign state cannot prevent them or if the person commits human rights violations. On the 9th, in Bago, near Yangon, about 80 people were killed in the ruthless suppression of the military and they were unable to properly retrieve their bodies, and they urged the international community, including the United Nations, to intervene.
On local SNS, a picture of a young man with a sign saying “Only 700 people died in 70 days, UN slow down” is spreading at a rapid pace. The picket also says, “There are still millions of people (who could die).” It is an ironic message that expresses the need for prompt intervention.
![On the 12th (local time), protesters in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, wore a headband labeled'R2P' and held a demonstration. It is calling for the intervention of the United Nations. [AFP=연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202104/13/728a55b3-5196-4e01-8d04-9b870aab10f4.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
On the 12th (local time), protesters in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, wore a headband labeled’R2P’ and held a demonstration. It is calling for the intervention of the United Nations. [AFP=연합뉴스]
In fact, there are cases in which the R2P principle has been applied to even the most powerful means of military intervention. In 2011, during the Libya Civil War, the regime of Mhammar Gadhafi, which had ruled for 40 years due to the intervention of Western coalition forces at the time, collapsed.
However, for active intervention to take place, the consent of the permanent members of the Security Council is required.
A raging anti-Chinese protest
![Myanmars, who fled to the Indian border in March, burned photos of Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressing their anger against China. [AP=연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202104/13/69cf6a00-ec9c-4536-b186-44afde782740.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
Myanmars, who fled to the Indian border in March, burned photos of Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressing their anger against China. [AP=연합뉴스]
It is also related to the growing backlash against China in Myanmar. This is because China, along with Russia, among the permanent members of the Security Council, are lukewarm in intervening in the Myanmar crisis. The Chinese side holds the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, but in Myanmar it is also argued that “because China has a close relationship with the Myanmar military.”
In recent years, about 30 Chinese factories in Yangon have been burned, and anger has been expressed in a fierce manner. Later, as the Chinese government was known to have demanded “effective measures” from the military, citizens even burned a photo of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese flag, Oh Sung-hong, and stepped on it with their feet. Locally, there is also a social media campaign that requests a’Chinese boycott’ to the world by deleting apps and games made in China.
On the 12th, Myanmar media Irrawaddy quoted a report from British military information consulting firm Janes, saying, “The Myanmar Air Force launched Chinese drones to understand the trends of the protesters.” This news is spreading rapidly on local SNS in Myanmar, stimulating the anti-Chinese sentiment of the protesters.
![In Mandalay, the second city of Myanmar, protesters are holding a sign asking the UN to apply the R2P principle to intervene in the Myanmar crisis.[EPA=연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202104/13/7026e9da-57af-4d08-a1ab-3a8426c8a69e.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
In Mandalay, the second city of Myanmar, protesters are holding a sign asking the UN to apply the R2P principle to intervene in the Myanmar crisis.[EPA=연합뉴스]
As the sacrifices of Myanmar citizens increase, the international community is also calling for a change in attitudes toward China and Russia. According to Reuters news agency, on the 11th, Joseph Borrell, senior EU foreign and security policy representative, said, “China and Russia have a deep relationship with the Myanmar military and are the two largest countries selling weapons to Myanmar.” “We are weakening the cooperation of the international community for this,” he criticized.
“It is not surprising that China and Russia are preventing the passage of a resolution that includes measures such as sanctions and arms embargo on Myanmar’s military and owned enterprises at the UN Security Council.” He pointed out that it should not be dragged in.
As the backlash grew, it seems that China is also seeking a remedy. According to Irrawaddy on the 8th, an official from the Chinese embassy in Myanmar made a phone call with the delegation of the CRPH, the interim government of the rebels, and said,’The Chinese government wants to open a dialogue channel with the CRPH.’ “It was not that China wanted to see the current situation,” said a Chinese councilor, referring to the safety issues of the Chinese and related facilities, Irrawaddy said.
Reporter Jeong Eun-hye [email protected]
