Promoters of 'Arab Spring' responsible for causing the worsening refugee crisis

An exhausted Afghan migrant carries her child towards a registration camp after arriving by dinghy on the Greek island of Lesbos September 20, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

International agencies including the United Nations, the World Bank and Islamic Development Bank, announced on Saturday that they plan to raise billions of dollars to tackle the worsening refugee crisis in the Middle East and North Africa, by issuing new bonds to help displaced people and support reconstruction in the war-torn region. Comments:

To a certain extent, the root cause of Europe's refugee crisis is the so-called "Arab Spring", which the West previously promoted and supported among some Middle East countries. This was the trigger for enduring political unrest and military clashes in the region, especially in Syria and Libya, rather than a catalyst for widespread "democratization" as expected. The current influx of refugees in Europe happened for a reason.

Shen Xiaoquan, a researcher at the World Affairs Research Center, Xinhua News Agency, Oct 10

The "Arab Spring" has caused a multitude of miseries in the Arab countries concerned, because it brought more trouble to those countries that managed to go through a power transition - the constant fights between tribes, religious sects, and various political forces. More, most affected countries are struggling to boost their sluggish economies, with the interim governments failing to govern and the West falling short in providing financial aid. Worse, extremism has emerged among the desperate citizens, creating ticking time bombs threatening regional stability. It is high time that the West reflected on its wrongdoing in promoting the Arab Spring.

Li Weijian, a researcher at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, Oct 4

The Western powers are responsible for the increasing number of Middle East refugees in Europe. The "color revolutions" they led in the Arab world only caused serious political disorder and conflicts, instead of bringing the hope of freedom and democracy to the local residents. In fact, it is powerful central governments, stable societies, and national cohesion that those embattled nations need most.

People's Daily, Oct 3

The brutal facts in the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe, once again, prove that outsiders are allowed to offer their help to defuse regional tensions, but should neither interfere in the domestic affairs of countries in the region nor force them to adopt a certain development mode. Politically resolving the Syrian crisis and restoring stability in the Middle East should be the cure for Europe's immigration chaos, which is exactly what the UN is working on. All parties involved are also supposed to support the world body and help some war-torn nations enhance their governance and improve local people's well-being.

Wu Sike, a former Chinese special envoy to the Middle East, Oct 7