Guided missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones. Photo US National Archives.
The US Navy is now regularly patrolling in the South China Sea. On 7 April, the USS John Paul Jones sailed from the Persian Gulf through Indian waters (without the Indian government’s consent) towards the Malacca Strait.
This Strait, the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, is the key choke point for China’s energy supplies. Myanmar’s coastline provides naval access to the Strait.
There is now a grave danger of war in the South China Sea, even possibly a US-led attack on Myanmar. The 1 February military coup ousting US favourite Aung San Suu Kyi could provide the pretext for US intervention.
The CIA has long interfered in that country’s internal affairs. It has armed and funded various terrorist groups – the Arakan Independence Army, the Kachin Independence Army, the United Wa State Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army – as part of its campaign to weaken the country’s independence and unity.