By: Christopher Gill
SOMETIMES beggars cannot be choosers in the world of geo-politics. Countries faced with starvation of its population cannot choose which country to accept corn from or which country to take wheat from or not to take it together. In Sudan, for instance, a country rich in oil resources has aligned itself quite comfortably with Communist China in its effort to extract natural resources from its country. Communist China builds the oil refineries and shiny cities in the name of friendship, and gets oil at a reasonable price from the Sudanese in exchange. This is a mutually beneficial relationship, with exception for the 400,000 people in Darfur, Sudan, that are facing genocide by the same military forces that enjoy the nice shiny new towns Communist China builds in the name of friendship.
For the most part of year 2007, the western world has called on Communist China to be more responsible in Sudan and to place more diplomatic pressure on the Sudanese Government to stop genocide in its own country and unravel the mishandling of the Darfur situation.
In Seychelles, we are not starving and we do not face genocide, but Communist China diplomacy has evolved on our shore for the worse. In face of this, we must retain our dignity against now great odds.
Totalitarian States Have No Morality In Diplomacy
Communist China has bee slow to respond to the call to take diplomatic steps redress the Darfur’s situation, preferring instead to secure its cheap oil. Communist China of course, is a repressive totalitarian state. No amount of trade and economic freedoms can be exchanged for a Government suppressing the inalienable human rights of any group in its society. The Communist Party of China is not a freely elected body politic and its leaders are chosen within the Communist Party and not from a free voting exercise of the general population at large. Like all totalitarian regimes, might make right. Morality has no place on the table.
Public debate of issues in China is restricted in the paper press and TV press. Watch CCTV on SVC and you will see how what should be public debate on an issue makes a turn for an announcement of Government Policy and its method of implementation. Rarely are accomplished individuals highlighted. Instead, they interview a man working on the moon landing and refer to him as “scientist”. We are not told his name because that little detail is not so important in totalitarian states. Look at our ‘Nation’ newspaper. The journalist do not use their names so when they write, they can lie and still face the Public socially.
When you cross the national Rubicon and venture into International Relations with a totalitarian state, what the state is willing to do to expedite favors is daunting. At times even heartless. In Zimbabwe, a country faced with complete economic collapse, a food supply chain broken in a nation that was a surplus food producer, Communist China has founded and built themselves, President Robert Mugabe’s Presidential Residential Villa at a cost of $80 million. They spared no change and have even equipped it with security cameras to protect a President that is failing his country, people and continent.
Communist China also had no regard for the Opposition in Zimbabwe when they agreed to Mr Mugabe’s request for providing him with election campaign materials. They printed his face and fist on shirts and air freighted the consignment to him in the last elections. Of course, Communist China would tell the world, they do thus out of friendship to the People of Zimbabwe. Was Communist China being Opposition Leader Morgan Tsvangarai’s friend? Are we supposed to believe the friendship thing when what they do is actually finance oppression out of national self-interest to secure resources to power its economic growth?
In Seychelles, a micro state and island nation, Communist China’s hand of friendship has been no different this year than it was last year. Only this year, Seychelles must stand up and voice an alarm. Silence is not a strategy in this case. Our national aspirations as a people, for real democracy to take root in our island state, for the SPPF – a One Party State political machine to become more democratic and accountable to the people, is being compromised by People’s Republic of China over interference in our Internal Affairs. Communist China has no moral compass when it reaches out to rouge Governments of the world. In Seychelles, it is not any different, except for the People of Seychelles, because we are so small and Communist China so huge, without the help of India, United States, Great Britain, France, Russia, and other regional powers; it will be a loosing battle. Our people’s aspirations for Freedom and Democracy to take root in our tiny Nation will be a forgone thought should Communist China continue to have a free hand in Seychelles Internal Affairs, while India and the western nations maintain the positioning that it is their policy, not to interfere in the Internal Affairs of the Seychelles
The Great Wall of China is now extending its parameters into the Indian Ocean region. Foundations stones are being set in Victoria, Seychelles.
China Shows Disrespect For People Of Seychelles And Crosses The Line of Diplomatic Friendship
Case One
China has extended a hand of friendship to build and furnish our National Assembly. A house of debate wherein in the problems and issues facing our Nation are to be addressed and debated openly for the public. The glaring symbolism of a totalitarian state erecting our National Assembly is an un daunting black cloud over our young democracy struggling to break away from the bondage of a One Party State era and the excess baggage that effort carries with it. Communist China has no track record of free public debates. Having them build our National Assembly while we are also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, will lower the bar of standard of what is democratically acceptable in the Association in time.
As time goes by, the Commonwealth will find it hard to suspend countries that lack democratic credentials to its liking if it remains silent on the low standards Seychelles is setting by resorting to a totalitarian states handout for building its House of Parliament. If this type of rouge attitude is left unfettered, in time, even fewer countries will see much value to belonging to the Association.
Case Two
Communist China provided SPPF in Elections with campaign materials. This included shirts, umbrellas, tea cups, watches and so on. It has been alleged that the Embassy in St Louis received an order for 20,000 red “Tenir Pa Large” shirts from SPPF in the last Election. When the Embassy sent in the order, it wrote to the factory 200,000. In Huangzhou, it was reported “Jj Spirit” taking root with many laborers wearing the SPPF shirt in town and around work areas.
Case Three
Communist China provides us free of National Budget incidence, fireworks, flags, lights to use in our National Day festivities. The same freebies are also used by the SPPF for celebrating June 5th 1977 coup d’etat. It’s free and Communist China knows exactly what it is all for. Why do they not fund us with street lights?
Case Four
Last year as well as this year when the Animal Feed Meal Factory, a SMB tentacle was running out of feed meal, Communist China stepped in to save that SPPF communist business apparatus with one year’s of corn animal meal to feed pigs and chickens in 2006 and 2007 respectively. That unnatural interference in a company’s business cycle was intended to prop up a failing regime during an election season. It kept the farmers off the streets and kept our people in check.
Case Five
Most recently, when SPPF realized UCPS could not have access to adequate foreign exchange to expand its rock crushing, block making and rock producing business, again, Communist China interfered in our Internal Affairs and disrupted the natural business cycle of that industry, by giving SPPF a rock quarry in Grand Anse Mahe, in an environmentally sensitive area to meet new projected demand, when existing local infrastructure and the banking system could not keep up.
Case Six
While we are not at war with anyone, we maintain a standing Army. This year, Communist China has taken upon itself to out fit our Army with uniforms and new guns and bullets from its factories. Recently, Brigadier Leopold Payet visited Communist China and signed a Protocol Agreement for Joint Cooperation with People’s Republic of China in Military Affairs and to strengthen ties with Communist China. This meeting took place right about at the time the Indian Ocean Alliance was conducting military exercises in the region. The Alliance is made up of India, USA, Japan, Australia and Singapore. With a Protocol Agreement for closer military ties with Communist China, our Brigadier has made history by opening the door to the Indian Ocean region to Communist China. In spite of that, India and the western powers tell us they do not interfere in the Internal Affairs of the Seychelles. This is taking being polite, a little too far.
Case Seven
As the SPPF policy for providing electricity was failing and approaching implosion and many homes in South and West Mahe could not get electricity supply regularly and are load shedding 2 hours at a time, which provided a great impediment to future development. Communist Party stepped in and bailed out SPPF with a $20 million loan for generators to meet rising demand. No regard to the Government’s ability to repay was considered. But once the new capacity is on line, it is on line for the civilian homes, business, hotels, as well as military capabilities and demand for Communist China as and when that need will arise.
Case Eight
Recurrently, throughout the year, whenever, the SPPF have a critical shortfall of hard currency, we see the Communist China Ambassador on SBC giving a handout for $ 1 million or $2 million, or something in between. These handouts to the SPPF very often carry with it no obligation for how the money is to be used or for repayment. It’s just like giving out “gous” or making a drop in a beggars bowl. This goes beyond friendship and accountability. This type of money flashing is a slap in the face of the people of Seychelles. While Communist China gives us dollars to keep failing SPPF doing, they take away our dignity through SPPF’s receiving hand. It is much like a man that decides he will use all his abilities and strengthen to beg for a living, in spite of being healthy and capable of fending for himself and his family.
Case Nine
When the SPPF Government could no longer keep its promise to pay for higher education for all students who qualified at traditional universities Seychellois freely choose to attend, Communist China stepped in and offered 140 full scholarship bursars to university to study everything imaginable from music to medicine engineering – but in Cantonese not English or French. While it provides an option for the young to explore and experience another culture – we are wasting precious time with our young people. Why do we teach them in English and French all their lives? Have them learn Cantonese in order to move forward in life? It is testimony of SPPF’s utter failure in higher education – further testimony of how far Communist China will go to interfere in our Internal Affairs without regard for our young people’s true aspirations. When we talk to them about schooling in China, they all have the same compromising attitude and while there, they must be grateful or be sent back home.
Case Ten
Case Ten is not what Communist China does with Seychelles, but rather what it does not do that makes the over interference in our Internal Affairs ever so glaring. While Communist China trades with most of the world and is a commerce giant, no one dare ignore, it hardly trades anything directly with the Seychelles. We keep our country supplied through intermediary trading posts like Mauritius, Dubai, Singapore, South Africa, Kenya, etc. We trade very little with Communist China. We also sell them very little. Our fish does not reach their markets much. Neither do our poor prawns. If this is the case, then why are they so interested in Seychelles and SPPF?
India Still Funds Bursars For Soldiers
Every year, the Government of India, a great democracy, funds 20 or more Bursars for the Seychelles People’s Defense Forces, even if the request is submitted. This standing Army is an Army for a political party. Hence, we call on India to refrain from funding these bursars in the future. Instead of funding military training, the Government of India may want to consider funding civilian police training courses instead, where it is much more needed in Seychelles today to meet our immediate needs of building a professional Police Force in the face of increasing crime.
To date, the Government of Seychelles has submitted only two requests for bursars for Civilian Police training for 2007. It shows you where SPPF places the greater emphasis: the private Army. Since we have become a democracy in 1993, it would be more appropriate for India to adjust its assistance to Seychelles in the line of solidifying our Civilian Police apparatus than to keep funding the SPPF military. After all, the French are looking after us now, in spite of India being the natural regional alley to the Seychelles and Communist China will definitely provide SPDF all the military cooperation it needs, even additional Platoons and Surface to Air Missiles (SAM’s). The only problem will be that the instruction manuals for the SAM’s will be in Cantonese – so do not be surprised of one day, they use a missile to take out the Clock Tower in our tiny capital.
When First President, James R. Mancham, said 1 billion people could not be ignored and established diplomatic relations with People’s Republic of China in 1976, surely he could not have imagined that Communist China would have today entered our home and taken over the kitchen.
May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!