June 13
What do Jaishankar, Wang Yi and the latest Qin Gang have in common? They belong to the clan of what media termed as the wolf warriors.
Even though internet defines wolf warrior diplomacy as confrontational and combative, with associated policies on social media and in interviews, as well as using physical violence against protestors and dissidents, this approach has been a breath of fresh air for many non-Western countries, trying hard to stand on its own two feet, fighting propaganda and fake news agenda.
Russia has been for years, trying to fight Western agenda. Do you ever notice that most of the villains in Hollywood action movies and in James Bond films are Russians? China created the wolf warrior approach. India now has its own warriors. Even African countries are following suit. We could see how Namibia President talking back aggressively to President of German parliament or Congo President shutting down French’s Macron at a press conference, following the examples of the big three. The West simply cannot get rid of their colonial attitudes and the feeling that they are superior beings and hence Asians and Africans should somehow kowtow to them. That innermost feeling propels them into thinking that they always have a right to be above everyone else or be the judge in the international community and have a free-pass to meddle in the internal affairs of other countries.
The Western world participation in internal conflicts of individual nations were undeniable, waging proxy wars or turning countries into failed states, in the context of planting democratic trees that would bear fruits of democracy. Look at Iraq, Syria, Libya in the recent past. I am sure citizens these three beautiful countries are so full enjoying the fruits of democracy tree planted by the Americans. Vietnamese people were once eating oranges given by the Americans during the 1970s, those with the term ‘agent’ in front.
According to a recent article in the Economist, since 1991, there has been a 12-fold increase in proportion of civil wars involving foreign forces. Foreign meddlers have fewer costs – their own cities not destroyed, so they have less incentive to make peace. Plus, weapons to fuel the wars came mainly from the West, beefing up the coffers of their weapon manufacturers. As Murdoch said at Fox trial, “It’s not about red or blue, it’s all about the green!”.
Civil wars are already concentrated in hot, poor countries; as the climate grows harsher, the belt of bloodshed around the equator will surely grow wider. And based on cost benefit analysis, conflicts outside of the West, created more benefits for the West. Cost is minuscule as most went towards underground activities, rights groups and NGOs, to encourage more infighting and hatred, through propaganda and fake news stories. We always wonder why it took China less than a month to facilitate peace between Saudi and Iran (Sunni and Shia) when it took the West forever. Maybe they do not want them to have peace.
How about Myanmar?
With all the western world media only having negative views about Myanmar, it is high time that we train our own group of wolf warriors to confront and combat the fake news and undue influence, underneath the veil of democracy. As I mentioned in my previous ‘Where the West got it Wrong’ article, they refused to even listen to the election’s fraud, let alone acknowledge it. They continued to support NNCP terrorists, despite undeniable evidence of their terrorist activities and put forward one sided resolutions, accusations and sanctions against the current administration.
When asked about how Myanmar should respond in such circumstances, ex-FCCJ chairman, Khaldon Azhari said, “Because you are dealing with adversaries who are going to attack regardless of whether you are right or wrong. …. the best way for the attack is to attack. You need to attack the case, you need to go forward very aggressively and you have to set up immediate goals and present them powerfully.” Otherwise, Myanmar keeps on getting bullied by the West as well as some countries of ASEAN.
So far, Myanmar has been so defensive in its approach that the fake news and negativities are drowning out the facts. We need our own pack of wolf warriors, who would fight back, be it at press conferences, meetings, panels or seminars. We need more wolf warriors courageous enough to stand tall in front of a hall full of audience and speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We need fearless fighters who would be proactive to fight for Myanmar’s interest all the times.
We do not need civil servants who just issue statements, denying this, objecting that, in the confined spaces of national press. We do not need Associations who would issue statements at government request condemning terror attacks, while not daring to speak at all, in front of an international crowd or explain about the reality in Myanmar to a wider audience. See the empirical evidence of how far being reactive has carried us. Nowhere!
As Reagan said, at the Challenger disaster memorial in 1986, “the future belongs to the braves”! The three great dynasties of kingdoms of Myanmar were started by three brave kings, namely, Anawrahta, Bayint Naung and Alaung Paya. Whether we want to be infamous like King Thi Baw or renowned and celebrated like the former three, it is up our current generations of leaders to determine, how our current strategies and actions would be recorded in history. The future is in our hands. Most of our leaders would agree that the search for a talented pack of wolf warriors is critical, be it a small step yet it would be a giant step towards securing a place for Myanmar to stand tall in this world.
