By Ra Wai / MPA
Following strong criticism from the people of Myanmar, the Chinese government has reportedly resumed organizing institutional visits of writers, artists, and journalists affiliated with the military council to China.
On September 19, pro-junta Myanmar media personnel traveled to China, following the return of 11 regime-backed writers and 15 artists from a visit to the country on September 16, according to a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar.
Regarding these trips, a journalist based in Mae Sot told MPA, “China has previously organized such media tours. However, since the military coup, we haven’t seen many of these. Now, the public has strongly criticized China’s involvement in Myanmar’s affairs including Operation 1027 in the Northern Shan State. These tours might be attempts to repair that damage, but I doubt they’ll be effective anymore.”
A reporter of Sky Net shared on social media about the first day of the trip of pro-regime media personnel who departed from Yangon International Airport on September 19 and arrived in Guangzhou, China.
A letter threatening the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) to cease hostilities immediately or face increased pressure from China surfaced on social media on August 29 which was not officially denied by China.
Following this threatening letter, both Myanmar citizens and local media have strongly condemned China’s interference in Myanmar’s domestic matters.
“China is trying to restore its image among Myanmar’s citizens, which has deteriorated significantly. They hope to improve it through these pro-junta media tours. However, the media outlets they are inviting are not trusted by the people, and the so-called writers they are inviting, like Myin Mu Maung Naing Moe, have long lost their credibility. Most of the invited writers have little relevance in Myanmar’s literary scene,” a Yangon-based writer commented.
On September 14, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar issued a statement on its Facebook page denying any interference in Myanmar’s internal affairs, receiving over 3,000 comments from Myanmar Facebook users disapproving of China’s collaboration with the military junta.
