[Newsweek]
“China is in the process of building a barbed-wire wall along its 1,300-mile southern border with Myanmar to prevent illegal crossings, according to recent reports.”
“Social media images from the town of Wanding and the city of Ruili—both in China’s southwestern Yunnan Province—show 6- to 9-foot barbed-wire metal fences separating the two countries, U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported Monday.”
“While media reports in China say the boundary fence has helped prevent illegal crossings and by extension COVID-19 outbreaks, the RFA report said it could also keep Chinese dissidents from fleeing the country.”
“Last month, Burmese news site The Irrawaddy said the Myanmar military and officials in Kokang, a self-administered zone in northern Shan State, had both lodged objections with Beijing over the proximity of the fence to the demarcation line. The infrastructure was built without any prior notice given to Yangon, the report said.”
“Kokang, which is largely inhabited by Chinese descendants, is administered by members of the local military and not affiliated with the [Myanmar] government, a spokesperson told Newsweek.”
“China plans to restrict its entire 1,300-mile boundary with Myanmar by October 2022, with key crossings to be fortified with high-voltage fences, surveillance cameras and infrared sensors, according to the Twitter account quoted by RFA.”
The “wall would stop Chinese citizens from frequently crossing into Myanmar and Vietnam to do business—some choosing never to return.”
An “expert, identified by his last name Wang, said the border wall would prevent Chinese dissidents from fleeing to Southeast Asia.”
“”Since Xi Jinping came to power, he’s not only prevented citizens from leaving, he’s also tried to kidnap Chinese abroad to bring them home,” Wang said.”
Read more: China Building 1,200-Mile Southern Great Wall Along Myanmar Border: Reports (archived)
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