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            Indian foreign minister's visit to Burma tomorrow

Times of India: Jaswant visit to boost ties with Myanmarese junta
The Hindu:   India steps up efforts towards engaging Myanmar
Hindustan Times:  Jaswant?s visit to further boost India, Myanmar ties

Jaswant visit to boost ties with Myanmarese junta

The Times of India News Service

New Delhi: Hard headed strategic considerations have led to India's
engagement with Myanmar's military junta. Following an unspoken
consensus among India's major political parties, the process of
rapprochement has already begun ? top Myanmarese leaders, including Gen
Maung Aye, the No. 2 in the country's ruling hierarchy, have already
paid visits here.

And now external affairs minister Jaswant Singh is leaving on Monday for
a three-day visit to Myanmar, the first in over a decade. Singh will
inaugurate the 165-km-long Tamu-Kalemyo-Kalewa road linking Myanmar to
India's north-eastern Manipur State.

The All Burma Students League, Suu Kyi's vocal support group, operating
from India, is reconciled to the Indian government's policy of
engagement. "We understand India's compulsions," activist and journalist
Soe Myint says. New Delhi is wary of China's growing clout with Yangon,
he says. In fact, activists say this was one reason, which impelled
Indian policy makers in 1991 to shift its stand.

These factors are well appreciated by the pro-democracy supporters who
have fled to India. "We understand that India has to have a working
relationship with the regime in Burma. But that does not mean that
India, the world's largest democracy, should forget about democracy and
human rights in Burma," Myint Aye, the joint-secretary of the All Burma
Students League, said.

He wants India to use its good offices to urge the military junta to
initiate a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and call for the hundreds of
political prisoners to be freed.

The US, EU and many other countries have been working towards this goal,
but so far with little success. The students feel that India, as an
immediate neighbor and one, which is now in touch with the military
rulers, probably may have more clout than countries, which refuse to
engage with Myanmar.


India steps up efforts towards engaging Myanmar

>From The Hindu (New Delhi), February 12, 2001

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, FEB. 11. India and China have been pitted against each other
as ``strategic competitors'' in Myanmar. India, which got its Myanmar
act together much later than China, is now seeking to address this
imbalance.

Whatever the ground realities, the strategic community, which seems to
have a vested interest in promoting ``competition'', believes that India
and China are natural rivals. For instance, the Director of the
Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, Mr. Jasjit Singh, was quoted
as saying in the International Herald Tribune of February 9, that China
was India's ``central strategic competitor economically, politically and
militarily''.

After keeping away from engaging Myanmar, India's policy underwent a 180
degree change - when support to pro- democracy elements was given up and
a process of engagement with the then State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC) was put in place. The large number of high-level
dignitaries traveling to and from Myanmar indicates the priority being
accorded to bilateral relations.

The last important Indian visitor was the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral
Sushil Kumar, last month. His visit was preceded in September last by
the Secretary (Bio-technology), Mrs. Manju Sharma, and in August by the
Home Secretary, Mr. Kamal Pande, for the annual security interaction
with the Myanmar authorities.

In July last, the then Army Chief, Gen. V.P. Malik, went to Myanmar at
the invitation of his Myanmar counterpart, Gen. Maung Aye. Earlier, Gen.
Malik paid a day-long visit to Mandalay at the invitation of Gen. Aye
before inviting the Myanmar Army Chief to Shillong as part of the same
trip.

Gen. Aye, of course, visited New Delhi in November last as did the
Myanmar Home Minister, Col. Tin Oo. In May and October, the Deputy
Foreign Minister, Mr. U. Khin Maung Ming, paid two visits to India.

For India, the process of visits seems to have taken off in 1998 with
two Secretary-level visits. In 1999, the two countries signed an
agreement on science and technology and the Myanmar Deputy Home and
Railway Ministers paid separate visits in July and December 1999.

The Chinese, on the other hand, have remained engaged with Myanmar.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the two sides have kept up
the exchange of high-level visits. ``The State Councillor and
Secretary-General of the State Council, Mr. Luo Gan (in January 1991),
the State Councillor and Foreign Minister, Mr. Qian Qichen (in February
1993), the Premier, Mr. Li Peng (in December 1994), the Chairman, Mr. Li
Ruihan (in March 1997), and the Vice-Premier, Mr. Wu Bangguo (in October
1997), visited Myanmar one after another,'' the Ministry said.

``Myanmarese leaders, including the Chairman of the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC), Mr. Saw Maung (in August 1991), Secretary-1
of SPDC (State Peace and Development Council), Mr. Khin Nyunt (in
September 1994 and June 1999), the Deputy Secretary-2 of SPDC, Mr. Tin
Oo (in November 1994), the Chairman of the SPDC Senior, Gen. Than Shwe
(in January 1996), and the Vice-Chairman of the SPDC, Gen. Aye (in
October 1996), paid visits to China. The President, Mr. Jiang Zemin, met
the Chairman, Mr. Than Shwe, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in late 1997,''
the Ministry document added.

In July last, the Vice-President, Mr. Hu Jintao, paid an official visit
to Myanmar, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic
relations between the two countries. A Chinese statement on the visit
said: ``He (Mr. Hu) also said in recent years, under the leadership of
the Myanmar SPDC, headed by Mr. Shwe, the Government and people have
gained important achievements in bringing about political stability,
national reconciliation, economic development and in foreign relations.
`

For these, we, as a friendly neighbour, are heartily delighted,' he (Mr.
Hu) said, expressing the belief that with Myanmar possessing rich
natural resources and its people's diligence, the Myanmar Government and
people are bound to overcome various difficulties...''

China's trade with Myanmar in 1995 hit a high of $750 million in 1995,
but declined to $640 million and $580 million in 1997 and 1998 on
account of the Southeast Asian financial crisis.

By the end of 1997, 183 projects for labour services and project
contracts had been signed between Myanmar and China, with a total value
of $523 million.

On the other hand, trade between India and Myanmar in 1999-2000 stood at
$216.52 million, with Myanmar's exports to India totalling $141.14
million. India is now Myanmar's largest export market.


Jaswant?s visit to further boost India, Myanmar ties

(From the Hindustan Times newspaper, February 12, 2001)

NEW DELHI and Yangon are set to cement their bilateral ties with
External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh scheduled to visit Myanmar next
Tuesday for the inauguration of the 165-km Tamu-Kalemyo Road.
This road will ultimately be part of the land bridge connecting India
with its South-East Asian neighbour. The road, which has been built by
the Border Roads Organisation at the cost of Rs 100 crore, will
ultimately help in cross-border movement of people from Manipur to
Myanmar on the Imphal-Moreh-Tamu-Kalmeyo-Mandalay axis.
The project is a product of the multi-faceted engagement that India has
consciously cultivated with Myanmar in the backdrop of the evolving
security scenario in the region. New Delhi's eagerness in chalking out
better ties with Yangon was evident during the visit of Gen. Maung Aye
Vice Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to India
in November last. The General was accorded a red carpet welcome by the
Indian Government.
During his three-day official visit, External Affairs Minister Jaswant
Singh will hold wide-ranging discussions with Senior General Than Shwe,
Chairman of the SPDC -- the highest decision-making body -- on regional,
international and other issues of mutual concern.
Besides Gen Than Shwe, who is also the Prime Minister and the Defence
Minister, Mr Singh will have intensive parleys with Lt Gen Khin Nyunt,
Secretary-I, SPDC and his counterpart Mr U Win Aung.
Problems of international terrorism and drug trafficking, issues
relating to economic co-operation, trade, cross border projects and
steps to enhance regional co-operation are expected to figure during his
talks, a senior External Affairs Ministry official said today. Myanmar
and India are part of the Mekong-Ganga co-operation that was launched at
Vientaine (Laos) last year. This initiative is aimed at developing the
Mekong sub-region and promoting close linkages with India.
It is understood that Myanmar is all set to roll out the red carpet for
Mr Jaswant Singh, with senior SPDC members slated to accord him a warm
welcome when he arrives at Tamu by helicopter on Feb 13.
Although New Delhi had supported pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi
in the past, it has now decided to adopt a pragmatic approach by
engaging the Myanmarese military regime as part of its "Look East"
policy. The official line is that the Indian Government wishes the
people of Myanmar well and follows the policy of non-interference in the
internal affairs of other countries.
Mr Jaswant Singh will be leading a high-level delegation comprising the
Manipur Chief Minister and Ministers from Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,
Mizoram and Assam. His team also includes officials from the Ministries
of External Affairs, Home and Power. The D-G of BRO and the Dimapur
Corps Commander will also be part of the delegation.




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<center><u><font face="Arial Black"><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>Indian
foreign minister's visit to Burma tomorrow</font></font></font></u></center>

<p><font size=+1><i>Times of India:</i> Jaswant visit to boost ties with
Myanmarese junta</font>
<br><font size=+1><i>The Hindu:&nbsp;&nbsp;</i> India steps up efforts
towards engaging Myanmar</font>
<br><i>Hindustan Times:</i><font size=+1>&nbsp; Jaswant?s visit to further
boost India, Myanmar ties</font>
<p><u><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+2>Jaswant visit to boost ties with
Myanmarese junta</font></font></u>
<p><font size=+1>The Times of India News Service</font>
<p><font size=+1>New Delhi: Hard headed strategic considerations have led
to India's engagement with Myanmar's military junta. Following an unspoken
consensus among India's major political parties, the process of rapprochement
has already begun ? top Myanmarese leaders, including Gen Maung Aye, the
No. 2 in the country's ruling hierarchy, have already paid visits here.</font>
<p><font size=+1>And now external affairs minister Jaswant Singh is leaving
on Monday for a three-day visit to Myanmar, the first in over a decade.
Singh will inaugurate the 165-km-long Tamu-Kalemyo-Kalewa road linking
Myanmar to India's north-eastern Manipur State.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The All Burma Students League, Suu Kyi's vocal support
group, operating from India, is reconciled to the Indian government's policy
of engagement. "We understand India's compulsions," activist and journalist
Soe Myint says. New Delhi is wary of China's growing clout with Yangon,
he says. In fact, activists say this was one reason, which impelled Indian
policy makers in 1991 to shift its stand.</font>
<p><font size=+1>These factors are well appreciated by the pro-democracy
supporters who have fled to India. "We understand that India has to have
a working relationship with the regime in Burma. But that does not mean
that India, the world's largest democracy, should forget about democracy
and human rights in Burma," Myint Aye, the joint-secretary of the All Burma
Students League, said.</font>
<p><font size=+1>He wants India to use its good offices to urge the military
junta to initiate a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and call for the hundreds
of political prisoners to be freed.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The US, EU and many other countries have been working
towards this goal, but so far with little success. The students feel that
India, as an immediate neighbor and one, which is now in touch with the
military rulers, probably may have more clout than countries, which refuse
to engage with Myanmar.</font>
<br>&nbsp;
<p><u><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+2>India steps up efforts towards
engaging Myanmar</font></font></u>
<p><font size=+1>From The Hindu (New Delhi), February 12, 2001</font>
<p><font size=+1>By Amit Baruah</font>
<p><font size=+1>SINGAPORE, FEB. 11. India and China have been pitted against
each other as ``strategic competitors'' in Myanmar. India, which got its
Myanmar act together much later than China, is now seeking to address this
imbalance.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Whatever the ground realities, the strategic community,
which seems to have a vested interest in promoting ``competition'', believes
that India and China are natural rivals. For instance, the Director of
the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, Mr. Jasjit Singh, was quoted
as saying in the International Herald Tribune of February 9, that China
was India's ``central strategic competitor economically, politically and
militarily''.</font>
<p><font size=+1>After keeping away from engaging Myanmar, India's policy
underwent a 180 degree change - when support to pro- democracy elements
was given up and a process of engagement with the then State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC) was put in place. The large number of high-level
dignitaries traveling to and from Myanmar indicates the priority being
accorded to bilateral relations.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The last important Indian visitor was the Chief of Naval
Staff, Admiral Sushil Kumar, last month. His visit was preceded in September
last by the Secretary (Bio-technology), Mrs. Manju Sharma, and in August
by the Home Secretary, Mr. Kamal Pande, for the annual security interaction
with the Myanmar authorities.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In July last, the then Army Chief, Gen. V.P. Malik, went
to Myanmar at the invitation of his Myanmar counterpart, Gen. Maung Aye.
Earlier, Gen. Malik paid a day-long visit to Mandalay at the invitation
of Gen. Aye before inviting the Myanmar Army Chief to Shillong as part
of the same trip.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Gen. Aye, of course, visited New Delhi in November last
as did the Myanmar Home Minister, Col. Tin Oo. In May and October, the
Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. U. Khin Maung Ming, paid two visits to India.</font>
<p><font size=+1>For India, the process of visits seems to have taken off
in 1998 with two Secretary-level visits. In 1999, the two countries signed
an agreement on science and technology and the Myanmar Deputy Home and
Railway Ministers paid separate visits in July and December 1999.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The Chinese, on the other hand, have remained engaged
with Myanmar. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the two sides
have kept up the exchange of high-level visits. ``The State Councillor
and Secretary-General of the State Council, Mr. Luo Gan (in January 1991),
the State Councillor and Foreign Minister, Mr. Qian Qichen (in February
1993), the Premier, Mr. Li Peng (in December 1994), the Chairman, Mr. Li
Ruihan (in March 1997), and the Vice-Premier, Mr. Wu Bangguo (in October
1997), visited Myanmar one after another,'' the Ministry said.</font>
<p><font size=+1>``Myanmarese leaders, including the Chairman of the State
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), Mr. Saw Maung (in August 1991),
Secretary-1 of SPDC (State Peace and Development Council), Mr. Khin Nyunt
(in September 1994 and June 1999), the Deputy Secretary-2 of SPDC, Mr.
Tin Oo (in November 1994), the Chairman of the SPDC Senior, Gen. Than Shwe
(in January 1996), and the Vice-Chairman of the SPDC, Gen. Aye (in October
1996), paid visits to China. The President, Mr. Jiang Zemin, met the Chairman,
Mr. Than Shwe, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in late 1997,'' the Ministry
document added.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In July last, the Vice-President, Mr. Hu Jintao, paid
an official visit to Myanmar, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of
diplomatic relations between the two countries. A Chinese statement on
the visit said: ``He (Mr. Hu) also said in recent years, under the leadership
of the Myanmar SPDC, headed by Mr. Shwe, the Government and people have
gained important achievements in bringing about political stability, national
reconciliation, economic development and in foreign relations. `</font>
<p><font size=+1>For these, we, as a friendly neighbour, are heartily delighted,'
he (Mr. Hu) said, expressing the belief that with Myanmar possessing rich
natural resources and its people's diligence, the Myanmar Government and
people are bound to overcome various difficulties...''</font>
<p><font size=+1>China's trade with Myanmar in 1995 hit a high of $750
million in 1995, but declined to $640 million and $580 million in 1997
and 1998 on account of the Southeast Asian financial crisis.</font>
<p><font size=+1>By the end of 1997, 183 projects for labour services and
project contracts had been signed between Myanmar and China, with a total
value of $523 million.</font>
<p><font size=+1>On the other hand, trade between India and Myanmar in
1999-2000 stood at $216.52 million, with Myanmar's exports to India totalling
$141.14 million. India is now Myanmar's largest export market.</font>
<br>&nbsp;
<p><u><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+2>Jaswant?s visit to further boost
India, Myanmar ties</font></font></u>
<p><font size=+1>(From the Hindustan Times newspaper, February 12, 2001)</font>
<p><font size=+1>NEW DELHI and Yangon are set to cement their bilateral
ties with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh scheduled to visit Myanmar
next Tuesday for the inauguration of the 165-km Tamu-Kalemyo Road.</font>
<br><font size=+1>This road will ultimately be part of the land bridge
connecting India with its South-East Asian neighbour. The road, which has
been built by the Border Roads Organisation at the cost of Rs 100 crore,
will ultimately help in cross-border movement of people from Manipur to
Myanmar on the Imphal-Moreh-Tamu-Kalmeyo-Mandalay axis.</font>
<br><font size=+1>The project is a product of the multi-faceted engagement
that India has consciously cultivated with Myanmar in the backdrop of the
evolving security scenario in the region. New Delhi's eagerness in chalking
out better ties with Yangon was evident during the visit of Gen. Maung
Aye Vice Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to
India in November last. The General was accorded a red carpet welcome by
the Indian Government.</font>
<br><font size=+1>During his three-day official visit, External Affairs
Minister Jaswant Singh will hold wide-ranging discussions with Senior General
Than Shwe, Chairman of the SPDC -- the highest decision-making body --
on regional, international and other issues of mutual concern.</font>
<br><font size=+1>Besides Gen Than Shwe, who is also the Prime Minister
and the Defence Minister, Mr Singh will have intensive parleys with Lt
Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary-I, SPDC and his counterpart Mr U Win Aung.</font>
<br><font size=+1>Problems of international terrorism and drug trafficking,
issues relating to economic co-operation, trade, cross border projects
and steps to enhance regional co-operation are expected to figure during
his talks, a senior External Affairs Ministry official said today. Myanmar
and India are part of the Mekong-Ganga co-operation that was launched at
Vientaine (Laos) last year. This initiative is aimed at developing the
Mekong sub-region and promoting close linkages with India.</font>
<br><font size=+1>It is understood that Myanmar is all set to roll out
the red carpet for Mr Jaswant Singh, with senior SPDC members slated to
accord him a warm welcome when he arrives at Tamu by helicopter on Feb
13.</font>
<br><font size=+1>Although New Delhi had supported pro-democracy leader
Aung San Suu Kyi in the past, it has now decided to adopt a pragmatic approach
by engaging the Myanmarese military regime as part of its "Look East" policy.
The official line is that the Indian Government wishes the people of Myanmar
well and follows the policy of non-interference in the internal affairs
of other countries.</font>
<br><font size=+1>Mr Jaswant Singh will be leading a high-level delegation
comprising the Manipur Chief Minister and Ministers from Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam. His team also includes officials from the
Ministries of External Affairs, Home and Power. The D-G of BRO and the
Dimapur Corps Commander will also be part of the delegation.</font>
<br>&nbsp;
<br>&nbsp;
<br>&nbsp;
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