On Jan. 1, the civilian National Unity Government (NUG)’s Foreign Ministry issued its position on China. The 10-point statement vows to foster a genuine ‘Pauk-Phaw’ (fraternal) relationship between the two countries and uphold the One China Policy.
NUG Foreign Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung recently talked to The Irrawaddy about the motives for issuing the China policy while elaborating on its position, amid escalating fighting on the Chinese border in northern Shan State.
Why did the NUG issue its policy on China?
We have previously discussed our China policy in talks with governments and diplomats of foreign countries. But we have never issued a public statement about it. So, the military regime has sometimes accused us of being under the influence of Western countries or this or that country.
The more we were silent, the more the regime exploited this to discredit us. These policies are not new; we have only compiled and clarified what we have talked about [our policies on China] along the way.
There has been criticism of point No. 4, on NUG support for the One China Policy governing China-Taiwan relations. Critics say this point should not have been included. What is your response?
Our view was that if we didn’t talk about how we view the One China Policy, it would be better not to issue our position on China. If a country wishes to engage with China, Beijing will definitely want to understand that country’s view on the One China Policy. The United Nations has also adopted a resolution on this policy.
We believed it was absolutely necessary to clarify our position on the One China Policy when we issued our stance on China.
The NUG statement vowed to cooperate closely with China to combat transnational crimes such as online scams and gambling, human trafficking and drugs-related activity. What form will this cooperation take? Is it true that the NUG has formed a task force to tackle online gambling?
Yes, we have formed a task force. Online gambling, drug and human trafficking on our territory are increasing. They also pose a threat to regional stability, so we have formed a task force to tackle them. The task force faces constraints, but we can help prevent these crimes by educating people about the dangers and by exchanging information. So, we formed the task force to cooperate with countries at both the regional and international level.
According to the policy statement, ‘measures will be taken to safeguard Chinese economic investments and other socio-economic enterprises within Myanmar.’ Does that mean the NUG will not attack Chinese investments like the Letpadaung copper mine and oil and gas pipelines, and will not tolerate attacks against them?
We have issued our policy on investments. We say we will not take responsibility for any agreement or investment made after the military takeover, but will take responsibility for agreements made with the civilian government before the Feb.1, 2021 coup.
Again, economic investments and socio-economic enterprises are civilian targets according to the People’s Defense Force’s Military Code of Conduct. So, we included that point under the basic principle that we have to protect civilian targets. Our military principle is to protect any project, including Letpadaung, that is not being used for military purposes.
Does the NUG plan to issue positions on other countries, for example the United States, Southeast Asian nations and India?
We will issue our policies on other countries when necessary. But we are currently focused on developing engagement plans. We drafted an ASEAN engagement plan last year when Indonesia chaired the bloc.
In 2021, we also issued our policy on neighboring countries, which includes five points. We engage with foreign governments in line with that policy.
Does the NUG have basic principles on how it should engage with foreign governments?
We have a two-point foreign policy. The first point is: “adhering to the independent, active and non-aligned foreign policy, the Union aims to establish friendly relations with nations that support the complete abolishment of dictatorship, restoration of full-fledged democracy and establishment of a federal democratic union in Myanmar in line with international laws and international human rights standards. The second one is: “Recognizing the geopolitics of Myanmar, the Union aims to establish close cooperation with neighboring countries, ASEAN member states, and nations that support Myanmar’s struggle for democracy and development.”
We will engage with neighboring countries and the international community based on that policy. Among the territories that support Myanmar’s struggle for democratic development are the United States, the EU, and so on.
Issuing your stance on China could spark concern that the NUG has become too close to Beijing. What do you think?
People have nothing to worry about. Global politics is all about a balancing act. Critics have claimed before that we were too close to the West and did not engage with neighbors like India, Thailand and ASEAN. Now, they are criticizing us for issuing our stance on China. In international relations, we can’t engage with only one country or focus only on one region. We blend our principles with pragmatism in engaging with the international community. So, there is no need to worry.
What is the NUG’s diplomatic mission?
We have a five-point work plan for diplomacy. We will continue to work to win greater recognition from the international community, cooperate with international organizations including the UN and EU, cooperate with regional powers including ASEAN, promote ties with neighbors, and cooperate with international jurisdiction mechanisms for justice and accountability.
We will engage with the international community based on that five-point work plan.
We will make greater efforts to improve our ties with regional and neighboring countries and make them understand the struggle of the Myanmar people and our political aspirations. At the same time, we will continue to maintain our ties with our traditional allies and our allies that support human rights.
