Chinese soldiers have been gathering along the border of Myanmar, seemingly under the pretence of guarding Chinese oil pipelines. The troops have been gathering mostly around the Chinese town of Jiegao that borders the Burmese town of Muse.
China is suspected of having orchestrated or at least aiding the coup that resulted in the country’s military leadership taking power. Since then, people in Myanmar have been protesting against both the new government and China. China, on the other hand, has refrained from making clear comments on the matter. These suspicions resulted in 32 Chinese factories being set alight in Yangon.
The exact events that unfolded in this series of arsons and its perpetrators are still unknown with some even suggesting that the Myanmar military may be behind them, whether loyal to the new regime or against it. It is claimed that employees working in these Chinese owned establishments are paid minimal wages and forced to live in abhorrent conditions.
Most of the conflicting reports say that mobs armed with iron bars and batons broke into the factories and torched them using jerry cans. It is also reported, though not confirmed, that a Chinese hotel and some restaurants were also subject to vandalism.
