It is quite perplexing to note that the Military regime in Myanmar is today everything that India is not and it should not surprise many that New Delhi does not come anywhere near to what Rangoon practices in terms of the political system that the dictatorial junta imposes. Further, just sample this; Myanmar’s military regime makes more extensive use of land mines than any other government in the world. In a global survey published annually, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines also noted that Myanmar’s ruling junta is not a party to the international Mine Ban Treaty drafted in 1997, and expressed concern about reports of civilians being forced to act as human minesweepers. While this is only one example of its deviant behaviour, the Military Junta in Rangoon today remains the anti-thesis of democracy and human rights. And yet India as the world’s largest democracy has no qualms about supping with the Generals and thereby only giving legitimacy to this brutal anti-democratic regime, which is something that New Delhi should not be proud.
Just to remind the Indian establishment, ten countries including the US, voted in favour of putting Myanmar on the UN Security Council’s formal agenda, a move that will permit members of the world body’s top organ to probe human rights violations and imprisonment of pro-democracy leaders in that country. The prolonged detention of pro Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate who has spent 11 of last 17 years in detention, has attracted worldwide criticism of the country and several attempts to get her released have failed. New Delhi’s voice, trumpeting the cause of democracy does not resonate across its immediate eastern neighbour.
New Delhi must use its bilateral ties with the military regime to underline the need for restoration of democracy in that country and the offer made earlier during President APJ Abdul Kalam’s visit to Rangoon of giving assistance in establishing the democratic structure in the country must be followed up by India in the different forums that the two countries work together in. While there is nothing wrong with New Delhi being interested in the business opportunity that Myanmar has to offer, it should nevertheless not shy away from this issue of restoring democracy and holding multi party elections within a time frame.
Better still, it would be in the interest of the region as a whole if India can work out a more comprehensive bilateral engagement plan with the military junta instead of merely cooperating in certain areas such as trade and the flush out campaign of insurgents. Further, given the healthy friendship between the civilian government in India with the military establishment of Myanmar, no better country than India has the greater proximity to facilitate the restoration of democracy in that country. Therefore, the opportunity presents itself for India to seriously engage the junta on the democracy issue. On this, New Delhi will have to work closely with the United States and the European Union to push for reform of Myanmar’s political structure. Doing everything possible short of imposing sanctions, India has to maintain pressure on the junta for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners as the only realistic first step towards restoring democracy.
