China issues rare rebuke after Burma border clashes

• A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

After several days of clashes between Burmese ethnic groups and government forces, the fighting came to an abrupt end on Sunday. The violence sent up to 30,000 refugees into China, some of whom were rebels who handed over their guns and uniforms to Chinese authorities.

China's official news service, Xinhua, has reported that a number of refugees have begun returning to their homes in Burma now that the fighting has stopped. Chinese officials assisted a number of refugees by providing tents, food, and medical aid.

Both China and the ruling military junta in Burma have a particular interest in the return of stability to the region, as China has plans to build oil and gas pipelines through Burma. There are also nearly 10,000 Chinese business people in the fractious area of Northern Burma.

In a rare move by China, an ally of the Burmese government, the country's foreign ministry spoke out urging Burma to "properly handle domestic problems and maintain stability in the China-Burma border region" and to "protect the security and legal rights" of its citizens in the country, reports the The Financial Times. Meanwhile, the Chinese media reports that Burmese officials have apologized for any Chinese casualities and thanked its neighbor for assisting refugees.

The situation erupted on Thursday when the Burmese army sent troops to occupy the Kokang territory following the refusal of several ethnic militias to convert into border security forces under the authority of the Burmese military. While it remains uncertain if the relative calm will remain, the Burmese government may have done considerable damage to its relationship with China, reports The Irrawaddy, a magazine published in Thailand by Burmese exiles.

Still, it remains unlikely that China and Burma's military junta will break ties over the incident. Meanwhile, The China Post reports that clashes between Burmese ethnic groups and government forces are likely to continue, because none of the ethnic groups' concerns have been addressed and the military junta is working to strengthen its grasp on power before the country's national elections.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Burmese government will move an additional 3,000 troops to the northern area of the country. Regional analysts and officials say the government's apparent objective is to rout out the ethnic militants before the elections. If the country does go to the ballot box in 2010, it will be the first time the country has had elections in nearly 20 years.