China has failed to progress, McCain says

By Pravit Rojanaphruk


US Republican Senator John McCain said in Bangkok yesterday he was "disappointed" with China's "lack of progress" as an emerging superpower in failing to push neighbours such as Burma and North Korea to be more democratic.

"Many of us have been disappointed in China's lack of progress as a world power," said McCain, who was visiting Bangkok for two nights.

He is due to fly for Burma early today to meet leaders of the new elected government plus pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

McCain, who met with PM Abhisit Vejjajiva and a leader of the opposition, also urged the Thai government not to force unregistered refugees in camps near the Burmese border back to their homeland.

"I strongly believe that the [Thai] government will not send these people back to persecution or even death," he told Thai and foreign reporters.

McCain, a former presidential candidate who was a prisoner during the war in Vietnam, said 2,000 people were "literally dying in a prison camp" in North Korea, while no significant changes in terms of human rights could be seen in Burma.

He said China, as an "emerging superpower" should exhibit "more mature behaviour" in relations with its neighbours.

He added that the US would put more interest and commitment into the region once their preoccupation with the situation in Iraq had scaled down.

McCain said one indicator of the lack of freedom in China was the fact that Chinese were not allowed to "tweet" (use the Twitter web service). He also noted that the so-called Arab Spring "is not confined to the Arab world".

"Burma does not exist in a vacuum - the Arab Spring has unsettled dictators all over the world." He said later, though, that he was not "a judge" on Burma but viewed developments in the country with "a healthy dose of scepticism" as it looked like the Burmese generals had simply removed their uniforms and ran for election last November.

"Why is it that they are so poor?" asked McCain, of people in Burma. "It's because they got a lousy government."

McCain urged Burma's new leaders to release all 2,000 political prisoners and to assure Suu Kyi she would be safe if she travels around the country to meet people, as planned this month.

Source: The Nation