New Delhi: In a significant move and at a time when India’s north-eastern borders are witnessing a growing spate of violence, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met one of Myanmar’s junta leaders and also their Foreign Minister U Than Swe raising the security challenges in the region coupled with increasing incidents of human and drug trafficking.
Jaishankar met Than Swe in Bangkok on Saturday on the margins of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting. The minister co-chaired the 12th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting in Bangkok Saturday along with his counterpart from Lao, Saleumxay Kommasith.
“Underlined the importance of ensuring peace and stability in our border areas. These have been seriously disturbed recently and any actions that aggravate the situation should be avoided. Flagged concerns about human and drug trafficking. Urged stronger cooperation among relevant parties for the early return of trafficked victims,” Jaishankar said in a tweet.
India has witnessed a massive surge in violence in Manipur since May this year owing to a long-standing ethnic conflict there. On May 3, violence erupted in parts of Manipur following a 'Tribal Solidarity March' that was carried out in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, more than 150 people have lost their lives and several thousands were injured.
In Manipur, Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of the state’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals, comprising Nagas and Kukis, constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
According to official sources, Jaishankar discussed with Than Swe the security condition of the entire 1650-km long border with Myanmar. He spoke about the security of the border areas in the states of Manipur, Nagaland Mizoram. These states have ethnic and kinship bonds with Myanmar, particularly with the Chin State and Sagaing Region.
Jaishankar said, “As an immediate neighbour, India is concerned about the humanitarian situation in Myanmar. Proposed people-centric initiatives aimed to address the pressing challenges.”
He added that India will continue to support the transition of the government there from a military rule to democracy for bringing peace and stability in the region.
India has been witnessing rise in simmering tensions in the border areas of its north-eastern states ever since the Myanmar junta forcibly took over the country overthrowing democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains in detention as she faces a plethora of trials by the Myanmar army.
Jaishankar also said India will continue to “closely coordinate” with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in dealing with the military leaders of Naypyidaw. Myanmar is one of the 10 member countries that form the ASEAN.
Earlier this week, ASEAN leaders condemned the growing incidents of violence and mass massacre of civilians in Myanmar at a foreign ministers’ meeting of the bloc. ASEAN has asked Naypyitaw to adhere to the five-point peace plan, which the military rulers of Myanmar under junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, have rejected.
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India-Myanmar Connectivity
During his meeting in Bangkok, Jaishankar also discussed the challenges being faced by New Delhi in carrying out the long pending connectivity projects with Myanmar as part of its ‘Look East’ and ‘Act East’ policies as violence has been on the rise in that country.
“Our discussions focused on connectivity initiatives that have a larger regional significance … Stressed the importance of expediting projects that have faced challenges in the recent past, especially the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway,” he said.
The India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway has been pending for over a decade as part of the $500-million Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport (KMTT).
In May this year, India inaugurated the Sittwe Port of Myanmar, also a crucial part of the KMTT. The port was jointly inaugurated by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Myanmar’s Minister for Transport & Communications Admiral Tin Aung San in May.
Minister Sonowal’s visit was the first time ever when an Union Minister of India travelled to that country post the military coup there in February 2021.
The Sittwe Port will directly connect Kolkata with Myanmar over the Kaladan river, covering a distance of 539 km. The port is one of the pillars of the KMTT, work on which has been going on since April 2008.
The second phase of the project also entails highway / road transport from Mizoram to Paletwa (Myanmar), thereafter from Paletwa to Sittwe (Myanmar) by Inland Water Transport (IWT) and from Sittwe to any port in India by maritime shipping.
Rajiv Bhatia, former Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, told ABP Live earlier in an interview that Myanmar is crucial for India as it shares a long border of over 1650-km with that country.
“Myanmar is our immediate neighbour. We have over 1650-km common border with Myanmar. So, the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy is applied here as far as Myanmar is concerned. Secondly, Myanmar is part of Southeast Asia and therefore India’s ‘Act East’ policy also applies here and the third policy, which is extremely relevant here, is the government's policy to bring greater stability and faster economic development in the north-east,” said Bhatia.
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