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Treading gently - India-Myanmar relations
Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment
- End of all tensions: The long-lingering power struggle in Myanmar ended as the Myanmar junta (military) toppled the democratically elected government in a coup. This smashed decade-long hopes for a truly democratic Myanmar. For all nations in the region, especially China and India, there are major implications.
- Why Myanmar: India and Myanmar relationship started after the Treaty of Friendship was signed in 1951. The foundation for a more meaningful relationship was established during Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s visit in 1987. Both have traditionally had much in common, with cultural, historical, ethnic, and religious ties, in addition to sharing a long geographical land border and maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal. Myanmar is geopolitically significant to India as it stands at the center of the India-Southeast Asia geography. It is the only Southeast Asian country that shares a land border with northeastern India, stretching some 1,624 kilometers. The two also share a 725-km maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.
- Doctrines: Myanmar is the only country that sits at the intersection of India’s “Neighborhood First” policy and its “Act East” policy. It is an essential element in India’s practice of regional diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific and serves as a land bridge to connect South Asia and Southeast Asia. For India to become an assertive regional player in Asia, it has to work toward developing policies that would improve and strengthen its relationship with neighboring countries. In pursuance of this, China is a big roadblock, as it aims to diminish India’s influence in its neighborhood. Therefore, both India and China are fighting for gaining influence in Myanmar.
- SAGAR: As part of its policy for the Indian Ocean called Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), India developed the Sittwe port in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. The Sittwe port is meant to be India’s answer to the Chinese-fronted Kyaukpyu port, which is intended to cement China’s geostrategic footprint in Rakhine.
- Insurgencies: The north-eastern states in India are affected by left-wing extremism and narcotics trade routes (golden triangle). To counter these threats, the Indian and Myanmar armies have carried out many joint military operations like Operation Sunshine.
- Commerce: Many Indian companies made significant economic and trade agreements in infrastructure and other areas. Some other Indian companies such as Essar, GAIL, and ONGC Videsh Ltd. have invested in Myanmar’s energy sector. To elevate its “Made in India” arms industry, India has identified Myanmar as key to increasing its military exports.
- Implications: The coup has attracted strong reactions and the threat of sanctions from the United States and the West, and can lead to some new political realignments in Myanmar. Decisive western sanctions may force Myanmar’s military to get closer to China, which may not be in the interest of India. A failed Myanmar state at India’s doorstep and a weakened Myanmar falling into the clutches of China as a satellite state may increase China’s bidding in regional affairs. Any effort to restore democracy in Myanmar will require supporting Aung San Suu Kyi. However, due to her silence on the Rohingya crisis, the plight of the hapless Rohingya may take a backseat or be conveniently forgotten. This is not in India’s national security interest in the north-east.
- Summary: Myanmar’s importance to India’s conduct of cultural diplomacy through the lens of Buddhism for tourism purposes. India’s “Buddhist Circuit” initiative, which seeks to double foreign tourist arrivals and revenue by connecting ancient Buddhist heritage sites across different states in India, should resonate with Buddhist-majority Myanmar. This can build up India’s diplomatic reservoir of goodwill and trust with Buddhist-majority countries such as Myanmar. Infrastructure projects such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport (KMMTT) should be financed into fruition expeditiously. And, the quicker the Rohingya issue is resolved, the easier it will be for India to manage its relations with Myanmar and Bangladesh, focusing instead more on bilateral and subregional economic cooperation.
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