By Sanjay Kumar
But India’s red carpet welcome is about more than coaxing Burma into better behavior. It’s also about countering Chinese influence in the country. And with this in mind, Than Shwe’s visit made one thing clear—the junta is exploiting both nations’ fear of each other to hold them to ransom.
The junta should be blushing with the attention it’s getting from its two giant neighbours, which is allowing it to thumb its nose at Western nations calling for it to rethink its behavior.
While India has been busy spending millions trying to improve transport links, Chinese firms have been pouring billions of dollars into infrastructure projects, including a deal signed by China National Petroleum Corporation in December 2008 to buy natural gas from the Shwe fields. CNPC has also, according to Human Rights Watch, reportedly begun constructing what will ‘ultimately be two major energy pipelines across Burma to China…(that will) represent some of the biggest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Burma.’
China is also believed to be a major supplier of arms to the repressive state.
With Chinese leaders apparently showing little inclination to pressure the regime through, for example, its membership of the UN’s ‘Group of Friends of Myanmar,’ India has decided to follow suit by putting its democratic ideals on the backburner. Never mind that freedom of expression is stifled or that GDP per capita is a shameful $469—India has pressed ahead with major development projects including the Sittwe port and a project on the Kaladan River.
Troublingly, while the Indian government lavished praise on Than Shwe during his five-day visit, there was little (if any) attention given in Indian newspapers to the once nobly pursued cause of calling for the release of Suu Kyi. In this, the media appears to reflect the broader thinking in India that suppressed democracy in a neighbour is less important than trying to get a leg up on a growing rival.
But the question is—what price will India pay in terms of future credibility for its political and strategic expediency now? With few apparently willing to ask the government this question, we’ve no choice but to wait and see.
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win
Dictator’s strategy win on India. India took the bribe from dictator for whatever the reasons. How can they sell their value & dignity? How can they neglect justice, freedom and right of 50 million Burmese people and leave to dictator’s hand because they afraid communist china? India should not be coward! Everyone reaps and consumes what one sows and plants. I hope it’s not too late for everyone.
Arjun
China supported, financed and propped up the Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia which killed millions in genocide. Similarly China supports the Kim Clan in North Korea whihc has killed million in hunger starvation. China support Dictators in Pakistan who hang elected representatives. China supports Dictators and Warlords all over Africa to get lucrative mineral contracts. China fully supports Burma’s military and supplies all its weapons and in return has obtained bases in Bay of Bengal to spy on India and further its policy of ‘String of Pearls’
For India, Burma is an important neighbour which cannot be allowed to dangerously go under total Chinese Control. So why should not India engage Burma in diplomacy ? Should India ignore Burma and hand over Burma on a silver platter to China for it to use Burma against India ?
How is it wrong to engage an important neighbour in diplomacy. Compare it with China’s support for the brutal and genocidal Khmer Rouge.
Nathan
India has a democratic dressing on a soil which is undemocratic in culture and religion. Democracy was a good word until India came along. It is a failed state and a sham democracy. An opportunistic western lackey and stooge!
Mitra
You should have discussed the strategic context a little more. Of course, India’s support for the despicable military regime in Burma is shameful. But China is setting up military bases in all neigbouring countries around India. China is already a strong supporter of Pakistan and helped it build nuclear weapons. It is rapidly improving relations with Nepal and Bangladesh and it aims to establish a military base in every country which is a neighbour of India. The Indian government is extremely concerned about this. India supported democracy in Burma for a long time, but that didn’t lead to anything- except loosing out to China in the competition for influence. When their strategic interests are involved, the Western countries behave in exactly the same fashion- so they hardly have the right to lecture us. But from the human rights standpoint, it is still very unfortunate- I agree with you on that.
David
Indian: Shame on you for trying to censor the opinions of a journalist in a free country.
Indian
Shame on you David that u r trying to blank out the views of an avid reader. Nothing is absolute and “freedom”, “liberty” are no exceptions. Btw, what is your take on Obama’s obsession with Ahmedinijad’s “ambition” of making Iran a “nukie”? R u with Ahmedinijad, the duly elected leader of a sovereign country or are you with Obama who has no locus standi on matters Iranian? Bother to respond to this first, then I will gauge how “shameful” or otherwise u r.