Factory fires indicate tension in China as violence escalates in Myanmar

Sunday’s violence marked the deadliest weekend since Myanmar’s army took power on February 1, restricting and detaining civilian leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and abruptly ending the country’s transition to democracy. The factories burned in the Yangon suburbs of Hlaing Tharyar and Shwe Pyithar, which toppled one of the country’s major exporters and drew a reprimand from China.

The Chinese embassy in Yangon condemned the attacks as “particularly vicious” and insisted that Myanmar authorities stop the violence, punish offenders and protect Chinese businesses and staff in the country. According to the embassy, ​​several Chinese-backed factories were smashed and set on fire, while many Chinese citizens were injured. Most of the businesses involved were textile and clothing factories, it reads.

“We call on the Myanmar people to express their demands in a lawful manner, and to avoid being encouraged and exploited for friendly cooperation between China and Myanmar,” the embassy said. in Myanmar and some actions by citizens have harmed the economy.

Many opponents of the coup see China as supportive of the military and criticized Beijing for refusing to condemn the takeover or violence against protesters.

China’s response to the crisis contrasted with that of the US and other democracies. In the wake of the coup, many governments condemned the army’s power attack and called for the immediate restoration of the elected civilian government in Myanmar. Beijing saw it as an internal matter, and its foreign ministry said any action by the international community “should avoid aggravating conflicts and further complicate the situation”. Other Asian countries that invest heavily in Myanmar, such as Singapore and South Korea, have been more openly critical of the junta.

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously condemned recent violence, but must act even more forcefully as an arms embargo, in part because of the opposition of permanent members China and Russia, both of which have veto power over the council and maintain significant strategic and economic interests. in Myanmar.

Anti-Chinese sentiment has not yet been a major focus of the protests, but some in Myanmar have questioned the relationship between China and the junta and the silence over human rights violations. Social media users have shared lists of companies allegedly owned by Chinese and are calling for boycotts. One image that is widely shared shows the words ‘China get out from Burma’, which refers to Myanmar with its former name, over the Chinese flag.

It was not possible to determine who started the fires at the factories. After Sunday’s violence, some in Myanmar welcomed the target of Chinese property. Others said the protesters were not involved and claimed that the authorities had set fires and blamed the protesters in an attempt to support Beijing for a tougher response.

Witnesses and medics said authorities started shooting at protesters around 1 p.m. A firefighter in one of Yangon’s suburbs, Shwe Pyithar, said the department only received reports of the fires around 3 p.m. The officer said a security guard at one of the factories told firefighters that workers and other guards at the knife point threatened before setting fire to the facility where they worked.

In interviews, residents of the concerned suburbs in Yangon said they were increasingly frustrated with Beijing.

Moe Sandar Myint, chairwoman of the Federation of General Workers Myanmar, said many of the clothing workers representing her group were threatened by Chinese employers over their participation in protests and civil disobedience campaigns. She said the statement from the Chinese embassy denied Beijing’s antagonism towards the protesters and called for a strong response to the assault on Chinese property and workers, but no sympathy with the subjects of Myanmar citizens.

“They do not care about the people of Myanmar, they only care about their own interests in the country,” she said. Moe Sandar Myint said.

A Buddhist monk who joined a rally in Hlaing Tharyar on Sunday said many people in Myanmar felt that China, as a superpower with close ties to Myanmar, had a duty to protect them. “They are a big neighbor and see what’s going on, but they never intervene,” the monk said. “Instead, they support the military without doing anything.”

The destruction of Chinese clothing factories highlighted the plight of the clothing sector. In recent years, Chinese factory owners have made major investments in Myanmar’s clothing industry, accelerating growth to a $ 5 billion export industry employing approximately 700,000 people.

About 40% of the country’s clothing factories have Chinese owners, according to the National Clothing Association of Myanmar. The factories helped meet Western demand for clothing from Myanmar, where low wages contribute to low production costs.

Hennes and Mauritz AB, a significant buyer of Myanmar clothing, said on Sunday five of its supplier factories were affected by the violence, but declined to give further details. “The situation is critical and our team in Yangon is working hard to manage the situation best,” a H&M spokesman said.

The burning of the Chinese factories is likely to contribute to the warning of brands about the acquisition of Myanmar.

H&M said earlier this month that it had suspended new orders from Myanmar, citing practical problems and the unpredictable situation. Benetton Group, an Italian retailer, said Friday it follows. The company called security issues and “violations of rights and freedoms” for its decision.

Production has faced major challenges since the coup, with work at some factories halted as clothing workers left their sewing machines to join military protests. Logistics networks are suffocated. The shipping company AP Moeller-Maersk suspended activities at its warehouse and depots in Myanmar last week, citing the safety and security of employees. This week, the company said it is being evaluated daily for warehouses and trucks.

“Yesterday’s situation was very bad, so I expect the worst for the clothing industry,” said Aung Myo Hein, a factory owner in Myanmar and a member of the executive committee of the national clothing federation.

—Chun Han Wong in Hong Kong contributed to this article.

Write to Feliz Solomon at [email protected] and Jon Emont at [email protected]