Feb. 5, 2021 - Epoch Times
03:12
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| Time | Text |
|---|---|
| Burma's military launched a coup in the early morning of February 1st and said it would impose a state of emergency for one year. | |
| Burma, also known as Myanmar, borders China to its northeast. | |
| At present, there are tens of thousands of Chinese businessmen and workers in Burma. | |
| Previously, the Chinese regime imposed restrictions on travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Making it very difficult for overseas Chinese citizens to return to China. | |
| Since the military coup, the Chinese regime has not addressed the situation of its citizens in Burma or extended any help to them. | |
| Mr Chen, who works in the media industry in Yangon, told Radio Free Asia that after the coup, local communications were cut off, people were panic buying, and there were bank runs. | |
| Soon after, banks and self-service ATMs were closed and shopping malls only accepted cash. | |
| People in Yangon are still unsure about the situation and the atmosphere in the street is tense. | |
| However, large-scale unrest has not yet occurred. | |
| Before the military coup, many Chinese in Burma were unable to return home for their upcoming Chinese New Year holiday due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in China. | |
| Since last year, anti-Chinese sentiment has risen in Burma as the pandemic worsened. | |
| There was a spate of attacks on Chinese nationals, including Yan Bangchao, vice-chairman of the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce in Burma, who was killed in May 2020. | |
| Tu Guoding, chairman of the Business Association, told RFA that before the coup, China had announced that major Chinese airlines would suspend their flights to Burma during the Chinese New Year from February 1st until February 20th. | |
| After the coup, the only flights to China run by Myanmar Airlines, which flew once a week, were immediately suspended. | |
| The Myanmar Civil Aviation Administration said that the Yangon Airport would be closed until the end of May. | |
| Tu also revealed that there are many people from Zhejiang province in Burma doing business, mostly in garment making and exports. | |
| If the military government comes to power, Chinese business owners are worried that the factories may be affected by sanctions imposed by European countries and the United States, he said. | |
| When addressing a question about the coup in Burma at a press briefing on February 1st, China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, didn't mention the situation of overseas Chinese in Burma. | |
| Wang simply said that we have noted what happened in Myanmar and we are learning more information on the situation. | |
| China is a friendly neighbour of Myanmar. | |
| We hope that all parties in Myanmar will properly handle their differences under the constitutional and legal framework and maintain political and social stability. | |
| The Chinese embassy in Burma issued an urgent reminder to Chinese citizens in Burma to take safety precautions on its official website on February 1, and gave a telephone number for assistance. | |
| Radio Free Asia called the number and various departments at the embassy, but no one answered the calls. | |
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