Mon State — Chinese soldiers and police crossed into Muse Township in northern Shan State Wednesday morning to inspect and complain about a market being built near the border, according to a local official.
Video footage posted to Facebook shows the soldiers and border police, through a translator they had brought with them, asking Muse locals what the building was to be used for and who it belonged to and complaining about its location. During what appeared to be a tense discussion, the locals replied that the building belonged to the Myanmar government and the Chinese soldiers and police left.
“They came to complain about the new market because they said we are building it on the borderline,” said U Okkar, a deputy administrator for Muse Township.
He said border authorities from each side meet monthly and that his office has written to China suggesting they discuss the market construction the next time they convene.
U Okkar insisted that the market was clearly on Myanmar land and criticized China for sending soldiers across the border.
“We sent a complaint letter to them for using armed forces across the border. There was no reason for them to use armed forces and cross our borderline,” he said.
Muse shares a long border with China with many illegal trade routes where territorial disputes sometimes flare up.
Last month, tensions rose briefly when China began building a wall along a stretch of the border with Muse. It tore the wall down after Myanmar authorities complained.
