INDIA's MYANMAR POLICY a Dilemma Between Realism and Idealism Yogendra Singh, Research Assistant, IPCS
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IPCS No. 37, March 2007 SPECIAL REPORT India’s Myanmar Policy A DILEMMA BETWEEN REALISM AND IDEALISM Yogendra Singh INSTITUTE OF PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES B 7/3 Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi110029, INDIA Tel: 91-1151652556-9; Fax: 91-11-51652560 Email: [email protected]; Web: www.ipcs.org INDIA'S MYANMAR POLICY A Dilemma between Realism and Idealism Yogendra Singh, Research Assistant, IPCS Myanmar is often perceived to be a buffer Myanmar also wanted to avoid being state between the two Asian giants of India identified too closely with China. and China. Its strategic location provides Myanmar with an opportunity to play a During the regime of Ne Win, the nature of significant role in the geopolitics of South the India-Myanmar relationship was and Southeast Asia. In addition, the stagnant but cordial on the whole. A availability of natural gas in Myanmar sequence of high level official exchanges gives an economic dimension to its strategic continued as Indian Prime Minister Lal significance. Myanmar shares a 1640 km- Bahadur Shastri visited Myanmar in 1965, long land and maritime boundary with the two countries signed a boundary India, making it a crucial element of India’s agreement in1967, and Indira Gandhi security calculus and ensuring that amicable paid a visit in 1969. During her visit, Ne relations with Myanmar are vital. Win made assurances that Myanmar would not allow any anti-Indian activities on its AN OVERVIEW OF THE INDIA- territory by any state or organization. Ne MYANMAR RELATIONSHIP Win also visited India in 1980. However, The history of India-Myanmar relations has during Indira Gandhi’s tenure, India was seen many ups and downs. After the end of largely neutral and disinterested in British rule, Myanmar opted for a policy of Myanmar, because a “commitment to harmonious relations with India and the two democratic values” was prioritized ahead countries signed a treaty of friendship in of “security concerns” in the Indian foreign 1951. A definite warmth in Indo-Myanmar policy agenda towards Myanmar. This ties was particularly apparent during the policy of idealism was also continued by period of Jawaharlal Nehru and U Nu. The Rajiv Gandhi. When the SLORC assumed two leaders had a shared understanding power in Myanmar in 1988, India under on various global and regional issues like the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi extended Indonesian freedom from the Dutch and the its moral support to the pro-democracy Korean War. movement and offered refuge to the people of Myanmar who migrated to India However, in 1962, when Ne Win came to to flee military suppression. power after a military coup in Myanmar, India-Myanmar relations came under strain A paradigm shift in India’s policy towards due to the anti-Indian policies of the Myanmar was seen during the 1990s when military regime. Ne Win’s policy of a India decided to court the junta. For “Burmese way to Socialism” hurt the example, Indian Foreign Secretary J N interests of the people of Indian origin in Dixit’s 1993 visit to Yangon culminated in Myanmar and Myanmar’s neutral stand in an agreement to control drug trafficking. 1962 during the Chinese attack against This shift in India’s policy was propelled by India was seen as a pro-Chinese act by three main factors. First, owing to India. As India’s image as a regional Myanmar’s isolation from the rest of the counterbalance to China diminished after world, Chinese influence in Myanmar was the 1962 conflict, Myanmar foreign policy increasing. India was concerned about this calculations also inclined more towards relative gain of China in Myanmar because China rather than India. Nevertheless, it potentially paved the way for a possible despite these serious setbacks, India was encirclement of India by China through never completely sidelined, because three pro-Chinese regimes in the IPCS SPECIAL REPORT No 37, March 2007 neighbourhood - Pakistan, Bangladesh and the independence of India from the British. Myanmar. Second, in order to counter the Due to their ethnic connections, insurgent emerging non-traditional security threats in groups from the northeast of India not only northeast India, coordination with Myanmar receive shelter in Myanmar but also was essential. Third, India started its “Look operate bases from there. Indian East” policy in 1991, intended to increase intelligence officials claim that at least half engagement with ASEAN, and Myanmar a dozen separatist rebel groups, including was the only ASEAN member which shared the Khaplang faction of the National a border with India. Thus Myanmar was Socialist Council of Nagaland and ULFA, seen as a gateway to ASEAN by Indian continue to operate from bases in the policymakers. Sagiang Division of Myanmar. These insurgent outfits continue to operate Due to these changing dynamics, India successfully because they receive sanctuary accordingly adopted a new pragmatic in India’s neighbour. Although Yangon has policy in relation with Myanmar. assured New Delhi several times that it Nonetheless, India’s decision to honour would not allow its territory to be utilized Aung San Suu Kyi with the Jawaharlal for anti- Indian activities, these assurance Nehru award indicated that idealism still have only proved to be verbal in nature abounded in India’s foreign policy. In fact, and have not produced real benefits to the National Front government put human India. Although Myanmar has cracked rights considerations and the restoration of down on Naga rebels it has demonstrated democracy at the top of its policy agenda reluctance in the case of ULFA and other towards Myanmar. However, when the BJP outfits. came to power in India, it began to stress “realpolitik” over idealism in relations with India is looking for a response from Myanmar. The Congress-led government Myanmar like the Bhutanese Operation All- that followed has continued the policy of Clear in December 2003, and to this end engaging with the existing military regime. has tried to appease the junta by being India now seems to have accepted that the ready to supply the junta with military restoration of democracy in Myanmar is an equipment for the upgradation of their internal matter and India has no role in it. army. Myanmar has said that it is not A sign of the growing India-Myanmar possible for it to crack down on insurgent relationship can be seen in two path- camps due to their remoteness and has breaking visits between leaders of the two therefore sought assistance from India for countries. The first was by the Chairman of improving infrastructure and the the SPDC, General Than Shwe to India in upgradation of military facilities. In his 2004 - the first head of state level visit recent visit to Myanmar, Indian Defence from Myanmar in 24 years. Indian Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, emphasized President A P J Abdul Kalam paid a return the need for military cooperation between visit to Myanmar in 2006 - the first by an India and Myanmar. Indian President to Myanmar and the first head of government level visit to Myanmar Together with Thailand and Laos, Myanmar after 1987. is also part of the notorious ‘Golden Triangle’ region of the narcotics trade, and INDIA’S SECURITY CONCERNS VIS-À-VIS is a source of drug trafficking and HIV MYANMAR AIDS in Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland. Myanmar shares a boundary with most of To counter these non-traditional security the northeastern part of India. The Indian threats, better management of the Indo- states of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Myanmar border is required. The two Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh all armies are organizing regular meetings in share borders with, or are very close to, border posts such as Moreh-Tamu in Myanmar. This part of India has been Manipur and have agreed to open four facing insurgency-related problems since more posts for such meetings. 2 INDIA’S MYANMAR POLICY A Dilemma between Realism and Idealism challenging target, owing to problems in THE CHINA FACTOR the trade structure of India and Myanmar. Joseph Grieco, in his interpretation of neo- Due to the lack of better linkages between realism claims that states are more the people and trade organization of both concerned about a competitor’s relative sides, trade diversification, which is vital gains rather than its absolute gains. In for increasing bilateral trade, is not crafting its foreign policy agenda towards possible. So there is a need to make the Myanmar, therefore, India also focuses on people of both sides aware about the China’s relative gains. It is the China factor possibilities and opportunities available in that motivates India’s Myanmar policy to both countries - Indian President Abdul take the neo-realist path and which Kalam, for example, offered a new idea compels India to court the junta. of developing linkages in the area of traditional medicines between India and With the Coco Islands on lease from Myanmar. There are various common herbs Myanmar, China can access the Indian that are available in Myanmar and India’s Ocean and has facilities to not only watch northeast and the two countries can work the naval activities on the eastern cost of together in the direction of standardizing India but also to spy on India’s missile them according to the IPR regime and thus launching program. China’s influence in make them acceptable to the world. Indian Myanmar can disturb India’s maritime expertise in biotechnology could be very strategic calculations as China can access valuable for such a venture. the Arabian Sea via Pakistan’s Gwadar port and the Indian Ocean via Myanmar. In In the existing trade structure between addition, China has also signed an India and Myanmar, India imports most of agreement to develop the harbour of Myanmar’s products via indirect routes as Hambantota in Sri Lanka.