Indo Burma Relations:Stronger state to state ties

The recent visit of the head of Myanmar's military government, Senior General Than Shwe marks a clear shift and some clarity in India's policy towards its eastern neighbour. For a decade now, New Delhi has been trying to befriend Yangon in a bid to bolster its security architecture in the region and build a bridge to South-East Asia. In the mid-1990s, India was apparently more concerned over the continued detention of pro-democracy icon and Nobel laureate Aang San Suu Kyi. But, of late, there has been a gradual switch in focus, and the United Progressive Alliance government seems to have realised the importance of firming up ties with the ruling junta, which has proved enduring. This is in tune with the thinking of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) that it would make better sense to remain constructively engaged with the military regime than to toe the Western line of marginalisation and sanctions — a policy which in any case is unlikely to work, given Myanmar's proximity to and close strategic relations with China.

The bunch of bilateral agreements signed during the Senior General's five-day visit — they related, among others, to security, oil and gas exploration, trade promotion via the north-east region — reflect India's new priorities. The one on oil exploration needs to be viewed against the backdrop of India losing out in bids in 2006 because it needed to get Bangladesh on board for a gas pipeline project. Another major venture India will support relates to railway infrastructure. As for India's nagging worry about insurgent groups active in the northeastern States operating from out of Myanmar, the military rulers have promised to ensure that it does not happen. Whether New Delhi can expect the same level of cooperation from the military regime as it gets from Bangladesh on this front is a big question. For the ruling junta, the red carpet rolled out to Senior General Than Shwe should make a huge difference in the context of Myanmar's marginalisation. But any hope of the general election in Myanmar, due later this year, becoming an inclusive democratic event — with Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy allowed to participate in it — will be vain. No amount of nudging by New Delhi towards that end is going to help. The generals have floated their own political party to cling on to power and anyone wanting to do business with that country may well have to work with them in the future too. And the change in New Delhi's position should be seen in this perspective. Strengthening of state-to-state ties dictated by strategic imperatives ought not to be seen as approval of the military dictatorship.

source; The Hindu