China backs Myanmar efforts to ‘safeguard stability’

BEIJING: China said Tuesday it backs the Myanmar government’s efforts to ‘ uphold peace and stability’ in Rakhine state, where a military crackdown has sent more than 300,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing for Bangladesh.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comments as the United Nations Security Council prepared to hold an urgent meeting on the crisis on Wednesday.

Rohingya militants attacked police posts in late August, prompting a military backlash that has sent nearly a third of the Muslim minority population fleeing to Bangladesh.

International pressure on Myanmar’s government has increased as UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said the violence seemed to be a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”.

But UN diplomats have said China, one of Myanmar’s main trade partners, has been resisting involvement by the top UN council in addressing the crisis.

“We condemn the violent attacks which happened in Rakhine state in Myanmar,” Geng told a regular news briefing.

“We support Myanmar’s efforts in upholding peace and stability in the Rakhine state. We hope order and the normal life there will be recovered as soon as possible,” he said.

“We think the international community should support the efforts of Myanmar in safeguarding the stability of its national development.”