The Daily Star has printed a letter ("Road links with Burma", December 30) by an alert reader expressing foreboding over the plans for road links with lawless Burma. I agree with him, Burma is an unstable and brutal dictatorship. We should shun their company, not try to build links so that we can import their problems.
I have the same feelings towards the Chinese. That China is a mortal threat to our country's livelihood, the RMG industry, is not why I dislike them. Nor do I feel any rancour about the dumping of cheap Chinese goods in our market, after all the Indians already do that.
What I do dislike is the fact that China is a brutal, communist dictatorship. Their government controls every aspect of their citizen's lives; permission has to be taken to live in the cities! Poor peasants are oppressed by rapacious communist party cadres. Dissent and free speech are stamped out with impunity. Free Taiwan is threatened and bullied for desiring freedom and liberty. Neighbouring countries like the Philippines are threatened by a vastly superior Chinese navy. The Chinese also propped up the mad hatter nation of North Korea which is now threatening the stability of East Asia. The PLA supplies missile technology to rogue nations. The list goes on and on.
Rather than trying to cosy up to a nation with no freedom, liberty, human rights or free speech, we should look elsewhere for inspiration.
America and Europe should be ashamed that they are also trying to mollify this threatening giant. We should not join their company. Instead we should build closer links to Europe and the US, they are our markets and far better inspiration for our democracy than Red China.