India soft on Myanmar for security

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India soft on Myanmar for security reasons

>From Times of India, September 2, 2000
By Seema Guha

New Delhi: India and Myanmar completed the seventh national level
meeting between their senior officials on Thursday. Started in 1994,
these meetings are held alternatively in New Delhi and Yangon.

Though since Pakistan's military coup India has campaigned for
democracy, the continued house arrest of Myanmar's pro-democracy leader
Aung San Suu Kyi has evoked little response from New Delhi.

Much of this is because of practical considerations. New Delhi needs the
cooperation of the military junta in Myanmar to combat the North-east
rebels, who have camps in the loosely administered areas on both sides
of the border.

"Engagement with the military government has become a strategic
compulsion because of China's growing influence in a country on our
borders," a senior Indian official said.

Though New Delhi's natural inclination is to support the pro-democracy
movement, it is perhaps more important to counter the Chinese
penetration in Myanmar, the official added.

Earlier, India had an overwhelming presence in Myanmar. However, since
the late '80s, as New Delhi turned away from the military junta, China
filled the space left vacant.

When the Congress came to power in July 1991, Narasimha Rao decided to
take a second look at India's Myanmar policy. The growing influence of
China at India's doorstep caused concern among policy planers in New
Delhi.

Even as New Delhi's stock fell in Yangon, China's ratings with the
military junta skyrocketed. "This led us to take a hard look at our
previous policy and decide to build bridges with the government in
power," an Indian diplomat explained.

Reports of the build-up of Myanmar's armed forces with Chinese arms
rather close to the country's turbulent North-east caused anxiety.
"Border management" was an imperative for India.

A hostile Myanmar, which could encourage separatists in the North-east,
was a danger New Delhi could not ignore. Improved relations with Myanmar
would ensure that insurgent groups in the area did not use Myanmarese
territory for their camps.

While the official New Delhi policy is not likely to change despite a
lot of public support for Suu Kyi, defence minister George Fernandes has
made known he is an ardent admirer of the jailed leader.