India-Burma holds another round of bilateral talks

by Mungpi

Monday, 24 November 2008 23:52

New Delhi - Burma and India on Sunday concluded the 9th foreign office consultation agreeing to cooperate in wide range of bilateral issues and to implement the agreements signed during Burma's second strongman vice Senior General Maung Aye's visit to India in April. The meeting held at Burma's former capital city of Rangoon between delegations led by Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw Thu and India's Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon agreed to cooperate in bilateral issues, including security and border issues, according to a press release by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Besides agreeing to strengthen cooperation in areas of trade and economic cooperation and cooperation in cross-border developmental projects, IT, Energy, Power and Education & Training, "both countries stressed the need for greater vigilance at the border and agreed to enhance security cooperation to combat insurgent groups and arms smuggling," the press release said. The consultation also welcomed decisions taken during the 3rd Joint Trade Committee held in October, which included converting Indo-Burmese border trade into normal trade, opening of a border trade point at Avakhung in India's Nagaland State and expanding the existing border trade items from 22 to 40. With both sides expressing willingness to enter into an arrangement for long-term purchase of pulses from Burma, India announced the waiver of the ban on wheat export to Burma for 950 tonnes. The consultation meeting also agreed to promptly implement the bilateral agreements signed during the visit of Burma's vice Senior General Maung Aye to India in April.   During Maung Aye's visit, India and Burma signed three important agreements including a framework agreement on the construction and operation of a multi-modal transit and transport facility on the Kaladan River connecting the Sittwe Port in western Burma with the Indian state of Mizoram. The other two are - a memorandum of understanding on intelligence exchange to combat transitional crime including terrorism, and an agreement on avoidance of double taxation for investors from the two countries and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. While an official at the MEA told Mizzima that Shivshankar's visit to Burma and the consultation was part of a regular exchange of high level visits by the two countries, critics view the visit and the meeting as part of India's effort to gain influence in Burma to counter the growing Chinese influence in the region. Dr. Tint Swe, a minister at Burma's government in exile - National Coalition Government of Union of Burma – based in New Delhi said, India's true intention in engaging Burma's military dictator is to gain influence in the Southeast Asian nation so as to check the growing Chinese influence in the region. But, he said, Burma's military rulers are not left without an agenda – to conveniently take shelter under the India umbrella at the international arena – which India seems to understand and enjoys providing. "If all the bilateral agreements are implemented, it might well benefit India but so far many are still on paper and India seems to be giving more offers than Burma," Dr. Tint Swe said. But on the ground, in Northeastern states of India, where both countries share a porous land boundary of 1,600 kilometers, the local people said they do not see any sign that will benefit them from opening new border trade points and turning the existing one into a regular trade point. "I think, if there is ever any benefit from the border trade, it will overlook the people of the Northeast as it has not been design to benefit us," NSN Lotha, adviser of the Northeast Students Organization, an apex student body in the region, told Mizzima. Rather, he said, the trade points will directly benefit the central government as it could be used as a bargaining point with the Burmese military junta to launch offensives against ethnic armed rebels in the Northeast that are fighting New Delhi. India claims that several of the Northeastern armed rebel groups including one of India's longest operating insurgent group the National Socialist Council of Nagalim – Khaplang faction (NSCN-K), are using the porous boundaries and the Burmese soil as a safe haven to operate, a claim which Burma has denied. "India wants to eliminate all these insurgent groups, so one of the main reasons behind India's relationship with Burma is helping to flush out the rebels," Lotha said. But, he said, India should look into longer terms and implement a policy that would nurture democracy in neighbouring Burma, which in turn would be a new avenue for real development in the Northeast. Meanwhile, Dr. Tint Swe calls India's 'Look East policy' a failure as it has set its focus on Burma's military regime while neglecting the gross human rights violations and suppressions suffered by the people. "India should not think that the military regime will be there forever to deal with. It should understand that in order to realize its objectives there has to be checks and balances," Dr. Tint Swe said. While India maintains its relationship with Burma's military dictators, it should also be vibrantly supporting the democratic movement as an option for the future and even check the junta, Dr. Tint Swe added. < Prev   Next >