http://www.tehelka.com/story_main34.asp?filename=Ws061007People.asp
`The people of Myanmar feel betrayed by India'
When the whole world condemned the junta using strong words, a democratic India talked about ‘non-interference’. What’s your view on this? And what about Murli Deora’s trip to Yangon?
The protests were sparked off by the oil price hike, and in the middle of that, Murli Deora flew in to sign an oil deal with the regime! It’s ridiculous. You have to remember that India was one of the first countries to support the pro-democracy movement in its early days; and the Indian government gave the Jawaharlal Nehru Award to Aung San Suu Kyi. But after they made a deal with the junta, India cut off all ties with the pro-democracy forces. They don’t recognize the opposition leaders anymore, or the government in exile. Now, the people in Myanmar understand India’s compulsions to have ties with the junta, they know India has to protect its national interests. But India is not just working with the, India is supporting the generals, financing the generals, defending them in the international arena. So the people of Myanmar, and especially the political opposition, feel that India has let them down. They feel betrayed by the Indian government.
What are these ‘compulsions’ you mention?
I would argue that India’s Myanmar policy is not working, even in terms of national interest. There are three things. First, the need to counter Chinese influence in the region. Since 1988, China has a heavy presence in Myanmar, which India is has been trying to counter with little success; China has had the upper hand for over a decade. Meanwhile, the junta is playing both these countries against each other. The second factor is the need for military cooperation, due to the presence of insurgents from India’s Northeast in Myanmar. The junta takes advantage of this, and occasionally they make symbolic crackdowns on insurgents to keep India happy. But they don’t attack the big groups like ULFA and PLF.
India has always given specific information; here are the camps, these are the leaders, and they say, we’ll get back to you, and do nothing about it. When they’re asked about it, they say we have no weapons, and India has to give them weapons; this despite spending nearly half the national budget on arms. So, India is being played, and to this date, India hasn’t got any effective military cooperation from Myanmar. The third factor is trade and India’s need for Myanmarese resources like oil. But there too India is the loser. For Myanmar, India is the 4th largest importer, while India has a huge deficit in trade with Myanmar. So even from the point of view of realpolitik, of strategic national interest, India is getting a bad deal with the junta.
How do you think this will affect the relationship between the two countries?
Both countries have a very long historical relationship. Ask anyone in Myanmar, and they’ll tell you about Subhash Chandra Bose, about Nehru and Gandhi. Likewise, Aung San Suu Kyi is known to most Indians. But India’s current Myanmar policy has come not just at the expense of principles; it has also damaged the relationship between the people. The current feeling of betrayal is not a good thing for the future relationship of India and Myanmar. Sooner or later, there will be a democratic government in Myanmar. What will happen to India- Myanmar friendship then? Because the people who now feel betrayed by India will be in power then. Now, I’m not saying India should cut off all ties with the regime, but they should also extend some support to the genuine pro-democracy movement that is happening there. India has no comprehensive Myanmar policy; the current policy is very short- sighted.