Chinese should treat neighbors better

Woke up just now feeling quite good.

The fever has gone and I'm just coughing a bit.

This place where I'm now is very peaceful.

I can hear the birds chirping outside the window. They seem to like hanging out at the bamboo trees there.

However, my good feeling lasted just for awhile.

Checked my messages and saw this via NST SMS Alert,

NST 02/03. A mass stabbing at Kunming railway station in China left 28 people dead and 113 injured in a violent terrorist attack - AFP

I surfed the net and found this story by The Guardian.

China horrified as mass stabbings at Kunming rail station leave dozens dead

I guess things are not all well in China despite all that new prosperity and other advances.

It appeared that there are still those who are angry and feel oppressed.

In this case, the blame has so far landed on the minority Muslims of Xinjiang.

You can read a bit about the unhappy history of Xinjiang here,

Xinjiang conflict 

I think the tragedy at the Kunming railway station should prompt the Chinese authorities to consider the need to settle its internal problems before anything else.

It's obvious that China has a lot of problems, though unseen as they were mostly kept under wrap by its tough censorship of the media, including the internet.

In that context, the Chinese should reconsider its maneuvers in the South China Sea.

I believe that if they can't settle their problems at home, they shouldn't go around bullying their smaller "friends" in South East Asia by claiming that the entire sea belongs to them.

They even claim rights in other countries' territorial water.

I don't really understand why the Chinese have to do that.

Malaysia, for instance has always regarded China as a good friend and look up to it to balance the power of the Americans in the region.

Now the Chinese have reduced themselves to the level of a big bully. It's turning into just another imperialist power which itself claimed to despise not that too long ago.

I think it's the new found prosperity and military strength which led them to believe that they have the right to own everything and take anything they want from their neighbors.

It's a pity, really.

If only China could be a real friend.

Now small countries in this region, including Malaysia have no choice but to turn to the Americans to counter the Chinese threat in the South China Sea.

How I wish the Chinese could realize all these.

They should really clean up the mess in their own home instead of wanting to take stuff from other people's house.