A Washington, D.C.-based group called Save Myanmar held a protest in front of China’s embassy in the U.S. capital and delivered a letter addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging Beijing to “engage significantly” with ethnic armed groups and Myanmar’s civilian-led National Unity Government (NUG), on Thursday.
“The Chinese Embassy is no longer ignoring us like before. Now they are paying attention, and they even recorded videos of us,” Yin Aye, a member of Save Myanmar, told DVB. The letter outlined five key demands, including a call for China to use its influence to help restore democracy in Myanmar, support for human rights, an immediate end to all aid to the military, and humanitarian aid sent to people in conflict-affected areas of the country, especially those under military control.
Pro-democracy groups have increasingly criticized China since Beijing issued a letter to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) to cease its offensive and conducted military exercises at four locations along the 1,370 mile (2,204 km) long China-Myanmar border last month, where it had also closed border gates adjacent to areas under the control of ethnic armed groups in Kachin and Shan states.
China’s Embassy in Myanmar issued a statement on Sept. 14 defending its policies towards Myanmar and denying accusations that Beijing was interfering with the country’s internal affairs. China has reportedly pledged support for Naypyidaw’s planned election, tentatively scheduled for November 2025.
