Neocolonialism in modern-day slavery
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Tun Mon Thet (NP News) - Oct 29
"Dai Bing, China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations on 16 October said: “It is the UK which committed all kinds of crimes all over the world during hundreds of years of colonial rules, sowing the seeds of most of the wars and conflicts such as those between the Palestinians and Israelis and those in Sudan and Myanmar. To this day, it continues to fan the flames, bearing grave responsibility for these issues.”
He expressed it in his opposition to and rejection of the remarks made by the representatives of the United States and the UK on the human rights situation in China at a UN conference.
Colonialism in bygone history means the invasion of lands and territories of other countries, races, and nations with the purpose to exploit economic benefits, natural resources, and the creation of new markets by the colonizers. Ultimately the colonizers enslave and commit human rights violations towards the colonized people. From the 17th to late 18th centuries, European countries especially British, France, Portugal, and Spain invaded Asian and African countries and America.
Myanmar was ruled by the British from 1824 to 1948 for over one hundred years during which millions of Burmese ancestors were killed, enslaved, and humiliated by western imperialists, especially the British. Many precious stones, gems, and royal physical substances such as ivory, jewelry decorated crowns, and cashes were stolen by the British officers. Worse of all, it was falsely informed that the public took those precious things from the palace when the royal family was expelled by the British. Therefore, the propaganda mechanism of the West bloc can be seen as obviously commencing in those long-gone years.
In addition to this, civil wars, insurrections, and internal conflicts are the symbols of the inheritance of British colonization and the British humiliation of Myanmar. Divide and rule administration system practiced by the British, the expansion of its missionaries in Myanmar, and their tactics of segregation and discriminating governance against Burmese (Bamar ethnic), the majority and Buddhist population in Myanmar, by favouring the rest minorities, especially those who believe in imported Christianity such as Kayin, Kachin, and Chin, led disunity within the country up to this day.
The British armed Kayin ethnics regarding them as their loyal and good servants to the British rulers so the Kayin men with certain military ranks fought alongside the British in the final Anglo-Burmese War, and in World War I and II. With the delusion of feeling superior as psychologically inserted by the British imperialists, the Kayin and other minority tribes tried to offend the Burmese population and insult the role of Myanmar military ‘Tatmadaw’ throughout the whole history, which indeed became the root cause of civil war in Myanmar.
However, Tatmadaw's role in Myanmar is more than an armed force institution. “Tatmadaw is the institution which founded Myanmar and the most important stakeholder in building the political structure of Myanmar,” Chinese special envoy to Myanmar Deng Xijun remarked in the informal talk with the leaders of the United Wa State Army in late August 2024 remarked, as per the leaked information, continuing that “Position of the Tatmadaw in Myanmar has already been determined by the country history.”
Although coercing the practices of colonialism was literally ended in the past, the concepts and tactics of colonialism and slavery still vitalize in the 21st century, particularly by the United States and the West using imposing sanctions, globalization, economic and cultural imperialism, direct military control or indirect political control, and information hegemony (the media propaganda). Neocolonialism aims to control a sovereign state by a more powerful nation through indirect means.
Benjamin Norton, founder and editor-in-chief of the Geopolitical Economy Report, stated in one of his analyses, “The U.S. government constantly violates the international laws because these unilateral sanctions are against the international laws. Sanctions are illegal in the international laws. Most of the Global South countries are hugely targeted by the U.S. economic war. The U.S. sanctions are literally killing millions of civilians all over the world.”
Ben also highlighted in his report, “As of April 2024, the only institution that has the legal authority to impose sanctions, according to the international laws, is the United Nations with the support of the UN Security Council. The UN only has 875 sanctions. So, the U.S. has 14 thousand more sanctions. Those are illegal because they are unilateral. It is a violation of international laws.”
After the 2021 political transition in Myanmar, the U.S. imposed various forms of sanctions against Myanmar. Some were designated individuals and entities. Amongst, Myanma Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB) and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank (MICB) are involved. The U.S. claimed that those actions only target the regime's sources of revenue which support military activities against civilians. Actually, it is ultimately aiming to tear down the monetary, financial, and banking systems of Myanmar.
However, the Washington Post admitted in July 2024 with regard to the U.S. waging economic warfare worldwide as follow.
“The United States imposes three times as many sanctions as any other country or international body, targeting a third of all nations, …. By cutting their targets off from the Western financial system, sanctions can crush national industries.” The Washington Post