31.12.2006
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Apprehension aroused with India-Myanmar military car rally
_ By Nava Thakuria
The civil society in India may be divided on continued support to the pro-democracy Burmese icon Aung San Suu Kyi, but the government in New Delhi is determined to enhance the strategic relationship with the military rulers of Myanmar. Though the largest democracy in the world nurtures various socio-political organizations, which support the cause of Suu Kyi, the government pursued partnership with the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) that rules today's Myanmar, earlier known as Burma. The SPDC is reported not only as one of the worst human rights violators in the globe, but also found directly responsible for keeping the Nobel laureate and National League for Democracy chief Suu Kyi under detention for the last three years. Many Indian and international organizations have been tirelessly raising voice against the ties with the Burmese junta, but New Delhi maintains its strategy to continue liaison with SPDC with its own arguments that is prompted by national interest and obligation as well.
The recently concluded India-Myanmar Army Car rally, which was inaugurated on December 5 in New Delhi (and returned to the national capital in the last week of 2006), carries importance for enhancing bilateral military relationship between the two neighbouring countries. The rally, first of its kind crossed through various Indian states including UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Asom, Nagaland,Manipur and Myanmarese towns like Tamu, Kalewa, Monywa, Mandalay, Taungoo to reach Yangon (earlier known as Rangoon).
Flagged off by Indian Defence Minister A K Antony at India Gate, the joint car rally was primarily organized to honour 20,000 martyr (soldiers) of India and Myanmar who sacrificed their lives during the World War II while fighting under the British flag in Burma in 1942. Visiting Burmese Army general Thura Shwe Mann and Indian Army chief Gen JJ Singh with other senior officials were also present at the flag-off ceremony. "The rally is aimed for close cooperation between the two countries in general and the armed forces of India and Myanmar in particular," said Indian Defence Minister while inaugurating the rally.
Participated by the Indian and Myanmarese soldiers, the rally consist of 12 vehicles with 45 members including 12 Myanmar Army personnel, had covered nearly 8000 kilometers from New Delhi to Yangon and back. In Yangon, the team paid homage to the World War II martyrs, who were laid to rest at Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar and then they started return journey through the same route to enter India through Moreh in Manipur.
It may be mentioned that this is the same route (up to Mandalay in Myanmar) that was used for the India-ASEAN Car Rally two years back from Guwahati. The car rally touched Tamu, Kalewa, Monywa to arrive in Mandalay and then turned eastern way to cross through Kyaukse, Taunggyi, Loilem and Kyaingtong to reach the border town (with Thailand) named Tachilek. The rally, another first of its kind, was aimed at highlighting the relationship between India and the Association of South East Asian Nations and also exposing the old land route, which was under cover for various political reasons.
For most of the people living in India, Myanmar is a land of atrocities, human right violation and of course under notorious press censorship. The media in the country is not allowed to cover the activities of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been kept under house arrest since 2003 by the Senior General Than Shwe led SPDC. Many news portal, which are traditionally critical to the military regime are banned in Myanmar. The local media (mostly in Burmese) are tightlipped while reporting the ongoing atrocities and human rights violation by the military on the common people throughout the country. The foreign media correspondents based in Yangon are kept under strict vigil by the authority and the only English daily of the country, The New Light of Myanmar is run by the government, which is used simply as its mouthpiece.
Even then New Delhi had signed an agreement with Yangon (the new capital of Myanmar is Piynmana, nearly 400 kilometers north of Yangon) on border trade in 1994. The trading activities under the agreement, which had been operational since April 1995, provide the buyers of both the countries to take delivery of the marketed goods in freely convertible currencies. Under this agreement, a wide and pitch road connecting Moreh to Kalewa town in Sagaing division of Myanmar was built and inaugurated in 2001. The 165-km highway was built by the Border Roads Organization (of India) with the cost of around Rupees 1 billion. Named as Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road, the highway connects India's National Highway 39 at Moreh.
New Delhi , though facing criticism from international communities for maintaining relationship with the present Myanmar regime, cannot afford to snap ties primarily for three reasons. First, Myanmar can play an important role in realizing India's Look East policy, where New Delhi proposes land connectivity with various South East Asian countries like Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam (through Myanmar) for trades. Secondly, the government of India is very much concerned with the presence of Northeast based insurgents in northern Myanmar. It believes that many armed outfits namely NSCN (both K and IM factions), ULFA, PLA, PREPAK, UNLF, KYKL, KCP etc run their training camps inside Myanmar and also use the neighbouring country as their safe hide outs. Thirdly, New Delhi remains equally concerned with more and more Chinese presence in Myanmar. With an aim to prevent China's involvement in Myanmar that leads to geo- strategic implications for India, New Delhi wants to involve the military rulers in greater economic cooperation.
After series of meetings between India and Myanmar in different levels during the last ten years, the visit by SPDC chief Than Shwe to New Delhi in October 2004 was most significant. Than Shwe, who is also the Head of the State of Myanmar became the first top officials to India in more than two decades. The spirit was maintained and reciprocated by the visit of none other than the Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam in April 2006. It was also reported as the first ever visit by an Indian Head of the State to Myanmar since independence.
Meanwhile, the India and Myanmar Armies had agreed to share the military intelligence along the 1600 mile international border with an aim to check the cross border terrorism, drug trafficking and smuggling. The Golden Triangle in general and Myanmar in particular remained a mater of concern for India as a huge source of illegal drugs smuggled to bordering northeastern states of Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram. Both the countries had signed a number of agreements since 1993 to strengthen the fight against the border crimes. The car rally by the soldiers of India and Myanmar signify the emphasis on cooperation between the armies of both the countries that might reflect in the future course of actions in respective meadow.
The author is a senior journalist based in Guwahati of Northeast India and edits an Asomiya weekly 'Natun Somoy'. He may contacted at navathakuria@gmail.com
Comments:
David Law said _
Notice how the Indian soldiers are holding Burmese flags with the poles attached to the wrong end. How could they make such a horrendous mistake? Could it be that they are trying to send a subtle message about what they really feel about SPDC?
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