Ganges and Irrawady: Points of Convergence

27 Feb, 2001    ·   468

N Manoharan brings out the potential areas of cooperation between India and Myanmar

N Manoharan
N Manoharan
The visit of Indian Foreign Minister, Jaswant Singh, to Myanmar in February 2001 has brought the lost neighbour into the radar screens of Indian foreign policy making. His visit was a major one after the one by Rajiv Gandhi in 1987. What is the newfound interest for India in showing “strong desire and commitment to develop and diversify” its relations with Myanmar ? What is the convergence of interests between the two neighbours?

 

 

Some analysts feel the China factor as the dominating influence. Both India and China are viewed as “strategic competitors” in Myanmar . India is said to be concerned about arms transfer of two billion dollars from China to Myanmar . India is also concerned about the Chinese support for upgrading Myanmarese naval facilities, including four electronic listening posts at Man Aung, Hainggyi, Zadetkyi and Coco islands. Hence, New Delhi ’s immediate concern is to woo Yangon .

 

 

Indo-Myanmarese trade is also gaining ascendancy. Though the bilateral trade was only to the tune of $141.14 million, India is Myanmar ’s largest export market. With the opening of 160-km long Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemya road (also known as
Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road
) the trade could jump to high proportions for local products. Apart from facilitating trade, the road will also promote travel and tourism between the two neighbours. Both the countries have agreed to open four checkpoints for increasing trade between the two countries. These include the Pangsau Pass , Paletwa, Lungwa-Yanyong and Pangsha-Pangnyo. This would formalize the trade between the two countries. It was also decided to develop banking, immigration and customs facilities at the border checkpoints. The land opening could facilitate India in reaching ASEAN countries through land frontiers, as Myanmar is the only ASEAN country having a land border with India . Interaction with Myanmar has received an impetus with the initiation of BIMSTEC ( Bangladesh , India , Myanmar , Sri Lanka , Thailand Economic Cooperation) and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC). 

 

 

Being victims of insurgency and terrorism, anti-insurgency operations also stand out to be a potential area of cooperation. Myanmar has been battling with nearly 15 insurgent groups on its soil and India around half-a-dozen in its northeast alone. Hence, mutual cooperation in fighting the militants operating in the hilly terrain of the Indo-Myanmar border is an imperative. In this regard, the anti-insurgent operations by the Myanmar government in the border area of Onamyu are appreciable. The institutionalization of exchange of information about the insurgent activity, which exists, requires up gradation to the level of joint operations and automatic extradition. 

 

 

The cooperation could also be in the area of countering smuggling, which is of two-fold—drugs and arms. According to the recent annual report (2001) by the International Narcotics Control Bureau, the 1643-km Indo-Myanmar border is being used as a transit point between the Golden Triangle and the
Golden Crescent
.  The amount of ephedrine seized in the border areas has increased from 1000 kgs in 1998 to a whopping 7000 kgs in 1999. The arms are generally purchased in Bangkok , Ranong and Chiang areas of Thailand and transited to India ’s northeast through Myanmar . The LTTE also is said to be involved in the arms smuggling. The arms to the northeast insurgents also come from the Myanmarese armed groups which have made peace with Yangon . 

 

 

Cooperation between India and Myanmar may also be in the areas of science and technology. For instance, Myanmar-India Friendship Centre for Remote Sensing and Data Processing in Yangon will enable Myanmar to use IRS data for wide ranging applications like remote sensing cover, weather forecasting and disaster management capabilities, determination of forest cover and other land-use delineation, cropping surveys, urban planning, environmental monitoring and ground water survey. Both the neighbours may also consider cooperation in the military field. Already India is supplying non-lethal military equipments to Myanmar . This could be further developed into joint army and naval exercises, joint patrolling of the land and sea frontiers, joint stand on international strategic issues and increased interaction at the level of armed forces.

 

 

The possibility of cooperation is also being explored in the hydrocarbon sector. A high-level delegation is leaving for Myanmar shortly to explore the existing oil and gas reserves in nearly 14 sedimentary basins and for identifying the possible transit routes. As per the preliminary estimates, nearly 1.4 billion barrels of crude oil and 26.5 trillion cubic feet of gas could be recovered from these sites. If enough supplies are found, it would not only give much required energy security to India , but would also bring sufficient petro-dollars to Myanmar . 

 

 

However, India ’s overtures towards the Myanmarese junta are seen as a “shift” in New Delhi ’s policy. The standard query posed is on what moral grounds New Delhi wants to rub its shoulders with a group of generals in the eastern neighbourhood while refusing even to ‘talk about talks’ with its western neighbour? But, one has to understand that India ’s reservations with Pakistan are not ‘who’ but ‘how’ they rule. Moreover, the unfolding peace moves by the junta towards democratic leadership in Myanmar are seen in New Delhi as a positive development. 

 

 

 

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