India Continues Tightrope Walk with Myanmar Junta
Posted on : April 11, 2022Author : Dwaipayan Sinha
Abstract:
The Myanmar military, which ousted elected civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) in early 2021, shows no sign of repentance in the face of Western criticism. The military continues to repress civil liberties in the country as Suu Kyi has been sentenced to imprisonment. India looks to balance its ties with Myanmar as it wants flourishing ties with its eastern neighbour in the face of an aggressive China. Indian Foreign Secretary’s recent visit to the troubled nation comes in this background. This article sheds light on India’s interests in the region and how it is walking a tightrope with the military.
Even after one year has passed since the Myanmar military ousted the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), the military is not backing down. The Myanmar military ruthlessly crushed the widespread street protests which took place after the coup. The coup resulted in many members of the NLD going underground and joining hands with ethnic militias to resist the government forces. A “National Unity Government”(NUG) and a “National Defence Force”(NDF) was created to fight the military regime in May 2021. The NUG wants the army to be removed from the political sphere in the country. It has said that it will hold talks with the military regime only after the release of all political prisoners.[i]
Aung San Suu Kyi’s future does not look too bright as a court in Myanmar found her guilty of charges of incitement and neglecting Covid-19 regulations during the 2020 elections in December 2021. Suu Kyi was initially sentenced to four years in prison.[ii] Later the military ruler General Min Aung Hlaing decided to reduce the sentence by a year. The former civilian president Win Myint has also been sentenced to four years in prison. Suu Kyi has also been found guilty of numerous allegations like illegal importing of communications equipment which was used by her official security team. Additionally, she faces many more allegations like violation of the law on state secrets.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentencing has been criticised by various governments around the world. The Modi government also took a critical stand. India had earlier been treading a fine line after the military took over. India said that it was “disturbed” with the verdicts which sentenced Suu Kyi to four-year jail term. “We are disturbed at the recent verdicts. As a neighbouring democracy, India has been consistently supportive of the democratic transition in Myanmar,” stated Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). India added that it is concerned by any development that undermines democratic processes and promotes differences.[iii]
Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Indian Foreign Secretary, made a visit to Myanmar just a few weeks after the statement was issued. This marked the first time that a prominent Indian diplomat visited Myanmar after the military coup in early 2021.[iv] India seeks to have a good relationship with the Tatmadaw, as the Myanmar military is called, because the two nations share a 1700 Km border. India is concerned about anti-India elements working on the Myanmar side being more active in recent months. In the past, India and Myanmar have worked together to tackle insurgents across the border.[v]
The Indian government is fearful of the Chinese leadership gaining a larger foothold in Myanmar’s polity which would be counter-productive to Indian interests.[vi] The Chinese and the Russians have helped the Tatmadaw regime to escape the wrath of the Western nations at the United Nations and other international organisations. India objected to the imposition of sanctions on Myanmar during the UN Human Rights Council meeting in 2021. The Indian government has decided to go ahead with all of the development projects in Myanmar even though the civilian regime has been toppled. On March 27, 2021 the Indian military attaché attended the Armed Forces Day Parade in Myanmar.[vii] He was joined by the Chinese, Pakistani, Thai and Bangladeshi counterparts as they represented the eight countries which attended the parade. The Deputy Defence Minister of Russia represented his country. The Tatmadaw killed a large number of demonstrators who were protesting against the coup on that day.
Even though the Joe Biden-led United States government has advocated for global boycott of the Tatmadaw, India did not take side with the West. Most nations in the region have rejected the Biden administration’s efforts of complete isolation of the Myanmar military. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has adapted with the change in regime in Myanmar. Myanmar is an important member of the regional group. India’s response to the military coup has been similar to that of ASEAN.
The ASEAN agreed on five points to bring the political instability in Myanmar to an end in a meeting which was held in Jakarta in 2021. These included promotion of constructive dialogue among all the parties, bringing an end to the violence, appointment of a special ASEAN envoy who would act as a mediator and aid production. India had then expressed hope that the ASEAN initiative will break the deadlock.[viii] But the Myanmar military did not grant permission to the ASEAN special envoy to visit Myanmar. The Tatmadaw also denied the UN emissary permission to visit the nation. In response to the rejection, ASEAN did not invite Myanmar to its annual summit which was hosted by Indonesia virtually in October 2021.
India, on its part, has continued to send humanitarian aid to Myanmar. An additional one million doses of Covid-19 vaccine was donated by India during the visit of the Foreign Secretary.[ix] An announcement of granting 10,000 tonnes of wheat and rice was also made. According to the External Affairs Ministry, the Foreign Secretary met senior Tatmadaw officials. However, it was not clarified if he got to meet the top military leadership. Shringla also met with leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and other civilian parties. Names of the opposition leaders were not revealed. Even though the Indian government had made a request, Shringla was not allowed to meet Suu Kyi.[x] None of the foreign diplomats have been permitted to meet her thus far. In October 2020, Shringla and Indian Army chief M.M. Naravane had visited Myanmar and met with Suu Kyi and General Min Aung Hlaing.
Shringla’s discussions with the Myanmar military over matters relating to India’s security comes at an important time. A commanding officer of the Assam Rifles lost his life in an ambush in Manipur near the Myanmar border in November 2021. The officer’s family and four other soldiers were also killed. The ambush was organised by the People’s Liberation Army of Manipur and the Manipur Naga People’s Front, who operate from inside Myanmar.[xi]
The coup can result in a possible security crisis for India in the long run as Myanmar’s people are crossing over to the north-eastern states of India in order to escape the wrath of the Tatmadaw.[xii] The rebel groups and the Tatmadaw are fighting in the areas bordering India, China and Thailand. The Tatmadaw has unleashed large scale atrocities on the residents of the Chin state, which borders Mizoram. Close ethnic ties are shared by the Chins and Mizos.
According to the External Affairs Ministry, the Foreign Secretary made the Myanmar military aware of India’s security concerns in the border areas and asserted that it is essential to maintain peace and tranquillity to effectively deal with insurgents. “Both countries had reiterated their commitment to ensure that their respective territories will not be allowed to be used for any activities inimical to the other”, stated the External Affairs Ministry.[xiii]
Myanmar’s official media took a view different from India on the meeting. It asserted that the discussions with Shringla focussed on the “discharging of state responsibilities by the ‘Tatmadaw’ under the constitution due to voting fraud in the 2020 general elections, terror acts by terrorist groups in the country, efforts on counter-terrorism, response to terror acts against education and health staff and efforts for ensuring peace and stability in the border regions of both the countries.” [xiv]
Dwaipayan Sinha
Intern
Asia in Global Affairs
[i] Opponents of Myanmar coup announce unity government (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/16/myanmar-silent-strike)[ii] Explained: Why Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to 4 years in jail
[iii] India says disturbed over sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi
(https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/india-says-disturbed-over-sentencing-of-aung-san-suu-kyi/articleshow/88142708.cms?from=mdr)
[iv] In First Visit to Myanmar After Coup, India’s Foreign Secretary Raises Manipur Ambush
(https://thewire.in/diplomacy/myanmar-first-visit-harsh-shringla-coup-manipur-democracy)
[v] Myanmar military helped curb insurgency in northeast India: M.M. Naravane (https://www.livemint.com/news/india/myanmar-military-helped-curb-insurgency-in-northeast-india-m-m-naravane-11613136488107.html)
[vi] Foreign secretary’s Myanmar trip shows India won’t allow China to use northeast to its advantage (https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2022/01/01/foreign-secretary-myanmar-trip-shows-india-wont-allow-china-to-use-northeast-to-its-advantage.html)
[vii] On Bloodiest Day for Myanmar Civilians, India Attends Military Parade by Coup Leaders (https://thewire.in/diplomacy/india-china-russia-pakistan-attend-myanmar-armed-forces-day-parade)
[viii] India welcomes ASEAN call to end violence in Myanmar (https://www.livemint.com/news/world/india-welcomes-asean-call-to-end-violence-in-myanmar-11619353177395.html)
[ix] India gives 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Myanmar
[x] Foreign Secretary request to meet Suu Kyi turned down
[xi] PLA & MNPF — Militant groups behind ‘well-planned’ ambush that killed CO, family in Manipur
[xii] As Myanmar Military Escalates Crackdown, Mizoram Sees Influx of Refugees (https://thewire.in/government/myanmar-military-mizoram-refugees-influx-crackdown)
[xiii] Myanmar senior general, Indian foreign secretary decide to strengthen counter-terrorties
[xiv] Myanmar statement on Shringla visit differs from Indian line on restoring democracy (https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/myanmar-statement-on-shringla-visit-differs-from-indian-line-on-restoring-democracy/article38030897.ece?homepage=true)
