Myanmar calls out China for arming terror groups

NEW DELHI : Myanmar, China’s closest ally in South-east Asia, has pointed fingers at Beijing for arming insurgent groups with sophisticated weapons and sought international cooperation to suppress rebel groups.

In a recent interview to Russian state-run TV channel Zvezda, Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said terrorist organisations active in Myanmar are backed by “strong forces” and sought international cooperation to suppress the rebel groups. The reference to “strong forces” was widely seen to be a reference to Myanmar’s neighbour in the north, China.

Myanmar military spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun later elaborated on the comment made by the Commanderin-chief of Myanmar’s armed forces. The spokesperson said the army chief was referring to Arakan Army and Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army , terrorist organisations active in the Rakhine State in western Myanmar that borders China.

A “foreign country” is behind the Arakan Army (AA), he said, citing China-made weapons that terror group used in mine attacks on the military in 2019.

This isn’t the first time that Naypyitaw had alluded to the Chinese connection.

When the Myanmar military busted a huge cache of weapons from the banned Ta’ang National Liberation Army in November 2019, military spokesperson Major General Tun Tun Nyi had underlined the Chinese connection to the weapons.

China, on its part, denies that it supplies weapons to any armed rebel groups in Myanmar.