CHINA stressed the importance of restoring democracy in Myanmar during a visit to Beijing last week by a special envoy of the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, Senior General Than Shwe.

“China whole-heartedly hopes that Myanmar will push forward a democracy process that is appropriate for the country,” a member of the cabinet-level State Council, Mr Tang Jiaxuan, told the envoy, Foreign Minister U Nyan Win, at a meeting on September 13, the state-owned Xinhua news agency reported.

“Tang said the democracy process was in the fundamental interests of the people of Myanmar and conducive to regional peace, stability and development,” the report said.

It said Mr Tang also told U Nyan Win that as a friendly neighbour, China sincerely hoped Myanmar would “restore internal stability as soon as possible, properly handle issues and actively promote national reconciliation”.
The meeting included a briefing by U Nyan Win on the political situation in Myanmar, the report said.

It said U Nyan Win told Mr Tang that the Myanmar government has focused “on maintaining internal stability, reinforcing national solidarity and promoting economic development”.

The visit by U Nyan Win came after Myanmar finalised the National Convention, which adopted guidelines for the new constitution. The completion of the National Convention ends the first step of the seven-step road map for a transition to democracy announced by the government four years ago.

The visit also followed a warning by the government that the National League for Democracy was planning to instigate more protests by monks.

The government also blamed the party for involvement in violent incidents that occurred after a group of monks protested in Pakokku earlier this month.

“Intelligence was obtained that NLD party members in other cities contacted and agitated the clergy to demonstrate and invited members of the clergy by phone to attend discussion meetings of the NLD,” said a government statement issued on September 8, after three days of unrest in Pakokku.

The unrest began on September 5 when about 100 monks in Pakokku, about 480 kilometres (300 miles) northwest of Yangon, protested against the rise in fuel prices.

“By observing the incidents which occurred in Pakokku city, the real intention of the NLD vividly shows that they have been trying to seize the State power by short cut through inciting unrest like in 1988,” when nationwide protests erupted against then socialist government’s economic policies.

“The government will never tolerate such malicious acts and will take effective action against those committing such acts in accordance with the existing law,” the statement said.

The demonstration by monks in Pakokku was one of a series of protests throughout the country since the fuel price rise in mid-August.

The government claimed – in state-owned newsmedia – that most of demonstrators were members of the NLD.

The September 8 statement said the increase in the cost of fuel was in response to rising global energy prices.