China’s role in the Feb. 1 coup in Myanmar is under scrutiny. A netizen posted a “document” on social media platforms showing five cargo planes from Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, arriving at Yangon International Airport after Myanmar shut down international flights. Many Burmese people believe that China “sent IT technicians to help the Myanmar military build a firewall”. In response, the Chinese Embassy reposted a statement from the Myanmar Chinese Enterprise Chamber of Commerce on Facebook, saying that “the so-called round-trip flights between China and Myanmar are normal cargo flights carrying seafood and other import and export goods. As a result, “Chinese seafood” or “seafood” has become the subject of much banter among Myanmar netizens.
Some netizens questioned that the person who drafted the “statement” does not even understand the basic conditions of Myanmar. Myanmar is rich in fishery resources, with a coastline of 2,832 kilometers and a total area of 225,000 square kilometers of coastal fish and shrimp fishing areas, with a fish and shrimp reserve of 1,760,350 tons, and an annual catch of 1.05 million tons without destroying the resources. There is a joke in Myanmar that only in Myanmar fish die of old age peacefully!
Some netizens have also jokingly deconstructed the English word “seafood” to come up with the term “Software Engineering Approach For Offshore and Outsourced Development” (offshore outsourced software engineering approach) conclusion!
China’s refusal to condemn the military takeover at the UN Security Council following the coup has sparked much discontent among the Burmese population. The Burmese military government is planning to enact a tough new bill to regulate the Internet. The bill would require Burma’s internet service providers and telecommunications operators to store user data for three years at government-designated locations, and authorities could access messages on individual social media platforms at any Time and intercept them. The bill has caused an uproar in Myanmar, with more than 150 civil society groups opposing it and saying they will not accept decrees issued by a government not empowered by the people.
Perhaps the Burmese military will have to continue to import more “Chinese seafood” to deal with the situation!
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