India-Myanmar Relationship | 06 Oct 2020

Why in News

A two-day visit by the Foreign Secretary of India and the Army Chief to Myanmar completed with greater engagement between India and Myanmar.

Key Points

• Health and Pandemic: As a part of India’s Medical or Drug Diplomacy a package of 3,000 vials of the antiviral Remdesivir given to assist Myanmar in its fight against the pandemic.
  
  • India has shown willingness to prioritise Myanmar in sharing Covid -19 vaccines, when available.
• Infrastructure and Connectivity: Operationalisation of the crucial Sittwe port in Myanmar’s Rakhine state by March 2021 is committed.
  
  • The two sides also discussed progress in the ongoing Indian-assisted infrastructure projects such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project. The project will link Kolkata to Sittwe in Myanmar and then from Myanmar’s Kaladan river to India’s north-east.

• Security: India has been concerned over some militant groups like the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) from the North-East region taking shelter in Myanmar.
  
  • Myanmar handed over 22 cadres of Indian insurgent groups in May 2020.
  • The maintenance of security and stability in their border areas and mutual commitment not to allow their respective territories to be used for activities inimical to each other were re-stressed.
• Transition to Democracy: Myanmar successfully conducted the 4^th meeting of the 21^st Century Panglong Peace Conference in Nay Pyi Taw.
  
  • The Union Peace Conference: 21^st Century Panglong is a continuing peace conference started in 2016.
  • Aim: To have a stable political environment in Myanmar with peaceful transition into democracy.
  • Outcome of 4^th meeting: The government of Myanmar and ten armed ethnic groups signed a framework agreement for the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
  • Indian Support: India assured continued support in sharing experiences in constitutionalism and federalism to assist Myanmar in its democratic transition.
• Rohingya Issues: India came forward for support for ensuring safe, sustainable and speedy return of Rohingya refugees from refugees camps of Bangladesh.
  
  • Building on the progress made under the Rakhine State Development Programme (RSDP), India proposed to finalise projects under phase-III of the programme, including setting up of a skills training centre and upgrading of agricultural mechanisation.
• Liaison Office: With the formal inauguration of liaison office in Nay Pyi Taw, India has taken one more significant step towards establishing its embassy in Nay Pyi Taw.
  
  • India has its embassy in Yangon, the former capital.
• Other Highlights:
  
  • A bust of Bal Gangadhar Tilak in Mandalay Jail is a symbolic gesture for a closer relationship and understanding mutual existence.
    
    • Mandalay Jail Connection: Between 1908 and 1914, he spent 6 years in Mandalay Prison for defending the actions of revolutionaries Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki.
    • Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki had tried to assassinate the District Judge, Mr. Kingsford by throwing bombs at the carriage in which he was supposed to travel.
  • Investment: With investments of over USD 1.2 billion, Myanmar has the highest Indian investment in any country in South Asia.
    
    • India's development cooperation in Myanmar is estimated at USD 1.4 billion.
• Energy: The two countries are also expanding partnership in the area of energy cooperation.
  
  • Recently, India approved an investment of over USD 120 million in the Shwe Oil and Gas project.

India-Myanmar

• India and Myanmar have shared cultural roots and historical relations, apart from the strategic, economic, social and political ties.
• Myanmar is a member of both Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is an organization of East Asian nations as well as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) which bridges South and South-East Asia.
• Connectivity projects through Myanmar help India overcome its Chicken-neck dilemma (Siliguri Corridor). Myanmar is also necessary for the development of North-Eastern India.
• Myanmar stands at the confluence of India’s Neighbourhood First and Act East Policy and India-Myanmar partnership is at the heart of India’s vision to create a connected and cooperative neighbourhood.
• Recently, India and Myanmar had signed 10 agreements with a focus on socio-economic development of Myanmar, during Myanmar President U Win Myint’s visit to India.
• Myanmar's growing closeness with China and the recent proposal of China Myanmar Economic Corridor is a cause of concern for India amidst growing India-China tension.

Source IE