India-Myanmar ties

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• The military takeover in Myanmar last February, just days before the newly elected democratic government was to be sworn in, stymied the country’s tenuous transition to democracy, for which a beginning had been made in 2015.
• The purported reason for the coup d’état was that the elections were rigged, in which the National League for Democracy, under the stewardship of Aung San Suu Kyi had secured a majority for another term.

India’s policy

Notwithstanding the unfortunate developments since the military took over, India should implement an unbiased and proactive “Neighbourhood First” strategy that facilitates the Act East policy crucial for India’s long-term security and economic interests.

• A recalibration exercise for developing a robust relationship with Naypyidaw is the need of the hour.
• India, in all its wisdom, should find ways to support Naypyidaw for its critical requirements of systems and platforms like UAVs, surveillance systems and communication equipment.
• In addition, there is a need for dynamic economic engagement with Myanmar, to expedite the completion of the earlier agreement on the operationalisation of the Sittwe port, the establishment of an oil refinery and joint vaccine production facilities at a cost of $6 billion.
• Myanmar — regardless of who governs its polity — is a decisive lynchpin for India’s Act East policy and critical for the economic development and security of India’s Northeast. The latter aspect has become even more imperative as earlier operations that were conducted against Indian insurgent groups (IIGs) have experienced a reversal, with many valley-based insurgent groups of Manipur forging an agreement with the Myanmar army.

Way Forward

• India has the singular advantage of acceptability from both factions in Myanmar and it is, therefore, imperative that it takes the lead in engaging with the ruling military leadership, and also kick-start the process of peace and stability in the country.
• India also needs to proactively employ the existing “people-to-people” goodwill and proximate ties between the two armies. The joint operations that were undertaken by the security forces to flush out the IIGs billeted in Myanmar’s Sagaing division attest to the fact.
• China could, in collusion with its all-weather ally, Pakistan’s ISI, sow seeds of discord in a milieu that is gradually transforming itself into India’s growth engine. Ill-fated episodes, such as the killings of civilians in Mon, Nagaland, could be raked up in order to retard the integration process that is actively underway in the region.

It is, therefore, of the utmost importance for India to positively engage Naypyidaw and stave off attempts to exploit Myanmar by countries inimical to India’s growth. Any ambiguity or delay in India’s constructive engagement with Myanmar would only serve the interests of anti-India forces.

The Indian Express Link

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/why-india-must-engage-with-myanmar-7739864/

Question- Given the fragile political situation in Myanmar, India needs to recalibrate its policy in view of internal security concerns. Explain.