India prefers to be silent on democracy while dealing with Burmese Generals
New Delhi, November 14, 2000
Editorial, Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)
Second-top Burmese military leader General Maung Aye, who is the Vice-President of the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and chief of armed forces, is on an official visit to India from November 14 onwards. This is his second visit to India in this year. The first visit was in January to Shillong at the invitation of former Indian army chief General V.P. Malik.
Policy analysts in India maintain that India continues to support for the aspirations of Burmese people for democracy, despite official policy of Indian government for a closer relationship with the military regime in Burma.
“The government of India has been a host to various refugee groups from Myanmar (Burma) and members of the democracy movement. That has not been changed over the years. This itself shows India’s stand,” said Sanjoy Hazarika, a senior fellow of the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research (CPR).
He said that the people of India at large are with the Burmese people’s struggle for democracy. “The civil society in India is completely at one on Myanmar issue…That the regime in Myanmar is seen as very brutal and totally opposed to democratic practices and democratic rights,”continued Sanjoy Hazarika.
India was the first neighboring country, which criticized the Burmese regime during and after the 1988 people’s uprising. For some years, India practiced the policy of “complete disengagement” with the military junta. However, since 1994, India has been establishing closer cooperation with Burma not only in economic field but also in military operations against the insurgent groups of both countries.
During the past six years, senior government ministers of both have been visiting each other to cement the once-fragile relationship. “That a country should have a two-truck diplomacy. It cannot depend only on government or opposition,” said Professor G.N. Jha from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.
Indian policy makers say that India has to establish a “working relationship” with whatever government in power in Burma due to certain compelling factors, including to balance the strong Chinese presence and economic interests in Burma and the need of support from the Burmese regime in curbing India’s northeast insurgents which have bases in Burma.
What has changed, however, is the government of India’s emphasis and public recognition of the importance of the regime in Rangoon both from the security point of view and in terms of economic relations with that country,” said Sanjoy Hazarika.
Another factor is economic interest. While the Western countries are isolating the military regime with sanctions, Indian industry is keen to trade with Burma. “Myanmar is not economically isolated in spite these economic sanctions. If Myanmar follows open-door economic policy and focuses on economic development, I think nobody can oppose it and India will be happy to support these efforts,said TK Bhaumik, Senior Advisor of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The present policy of Indian government towards military regime, however, has caused growing concern for the exiled Burmese community. While they understand the compulsion of a government, they can’t understand why India has lately been silent on the political repression in Burma. “We thank Indian government and the people for giving us shelter. But that is not enough. India being the world biggest democracy has the responsibility to actively support the democratic movement in Burma,” said a New Delhi-based Burmese democracy activist.
There has been no official word from the Indian authorities on recent events inside Burma where Aung San Suu Kyi was not allowed freedom of movement.
On November 12, three days before the visit of General Maung Aye, India turned back a prominent exiled Burmese activist from Indira Gandhi International Airport despite the fact that he was holding a six-month valid visa to India, issued by Indian Consulate in Chinag Mai, Thailand.
This entry denial of a leader of exiled movement seems to suggest that India will not allow anything, which will cause embarrassment to the visiting generals of Burma. For that case, Indian government is cautious about the annoyance of the Burmese government rather than listening to the cry of Burmese people for democracy. And it is unlikely that Indian government officials will raise the issue of democracy and human rights in the military-ruled country during their discussions with General Maung Aye.
A sad day for democracy!