India and Myanmar: Northeast, China, and democracy

Myanmar, like India, is a country with evidence of an old civilization and both share a history of colonization under the British. This shared experience of colonialism led to broadly similar circumstances faced by the two countries during their independence. This becomes an interesting aspect to note because, even with their largely similar backgrounds the two countries went on completely different journeys post-independence.  Article by Puja Bhadu | Cover Graphic by Shubhi Mishra (M&D) Summer Research Intern 2024

The post-independence journeys of the both India and Myanmar have been largely different. India became a sovereign state on 15th August 1947, while Myanmar gained independence on 4th January 1948.

 

The initial phase of the relationship was marked by efforts for friendship, with the Treaty of Friendship signed between the two countries in 1951. However, the political circumstances were quite different for both countries. While India maintained a democratic form of government, with a brief period of emergency between 1975-77; Myanmar experienced a troubled political environment with a military coup in 1948. 

The post-independence foreign policy of the two countries was along similar lines, with Myanmar adopting a policy of neutrality to focus on economic growth and development. Myanmar was a member of the Non-Aligned Movement as well. Perhaps, at one level, India and Myanmar did adopt similar policies at the time when both of the countries were navigating their way in the geopolitical space after becoming independent nation-states.

When Myanmar faced a military coup in 1962, the bilateral ties faced a setback for about two decades, with a resumption coming only from around 1987 with the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to Myanmar. At one point, between 1988-93, India strongly supported the pro-democratic movement in Myanmar. However, to deal with the anti-India insurgents, operating from the jungles of Myanmar, India sought the help of Myanmar’s military. The military rule in Myanmar continued till 2011, during this time, India had started to work with the established military government, rather than imposing sanctions on Myanmar as several Western powers had done. So, India continued a relationship with the junta.

This becomes all the more crucial taking into account India’s Look East policy. Myanmar is the only Southeast Asian country with which India shares a land border (a border that stretches beyond 1600 km and is along the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram). So, in this context, India attempted to continue working with Myanmar, for its own gains, to ensure that good relations prevailed between the two countries, and to prevent any other regional power from gaining prominence in Myanmar.   

Following the resumption of military rule in Myanmar in 2021, India has been orienting itself to the following approach. The External Affairs Minister of India, S. Jaishankar, in his interaction with Reuters, focused on a need for protection for ongoing projects in Myanmar while urging for an early restoration of democracy.

However, following the political difficulties arising from 2021, India has closed its borders to refugees from Myanmar. Some organisations in the northeastern states of Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland, have expressed support for the democratic protests. The masses in these states also wish to support their ethnic kin being troubled in Myanmar. This means going forward, India’s relations with Myanmar are bound to become more complicated. As the demands of the north-eastern states which border Myanmar are different from what India wishes to do at the national level in its relations with Myanmar. The central government had issued orders to the Northeastern state governments to identify and deport migrants from Myanmar.  This approach is bound to create certain difficulties for India. While the Indian government does not want to sour its relations with Myanmar; the discontent arising among the north-eastern states and people of Myanmar might lead to problems down the road such as a possible rise in insurgency.

The Rohingya issue is another aspect that is making relations between India and Myanmar difficult to navigate. The majority of the refugees continue to live in exile from their home country. While India urged for the safe return of refugees, a stronger stance is bound to create rifts in India-Myanmar relations.

The areas of collaboration between the two countries hold importance for both. While Myanmar aims to maintain good relations with a strong regional power, the success of India’s Act East Policy does depend on how well it navigates a relationship with Myanmar. In 1997 Myanmar became a member of ASEAN, making further cooperation between the two more crucial. Myanmar joined BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) in 1997, which serves as a medium to cooperate for economic development. The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) formed in 2000, promotes efforts in the fields of tourism, culture, education, as well as transport and communications. India has been involved in a few developmental projects in Myanmar, the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project; and the Trilateral Highway Project, which is an East-West corridor connecting our Northeast with Myanmar and Thailand.

 

For effective implementation of these projects, a resolution of issues faced in the northeast and north Myanmar is possibly required because the ethnic solidarity in this region, combined with the approaches of the two governments might cause greater discontent ahead. 

In the arena of defense, bilateral progress has improved. In July 2019, India and Myanmar signed a significant defense cooperation agreement. Cooperation on the border, training fronts, etc, with Myanmar, also procured defense equipment from India. Cooperation along these lines helps both countries gain perspective on their mutual security concerns and perhaps collaborate more effectively. The cultural relations between the two countries have also developed well. A few aspects include the restoration of the Ananda Temple in Bagan, regular visits of cultural troupes from both countries, and a cultural center in the Embassy of India in Yangon.  

However, one aspect of concern for India in its relations with Myanmar is China’s growing economic collaboration with Myanmar with major oil and gas pipelines and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor as well.

What makes the relationship between India and Myanmar complex is the various factors involved which make its navigation tricky.  The political difficulties being faced in Myanmar do pose a concern. However, a growing pragmatic approach led to working with the military government as well. Recent statements by the External Affairs Ministry of India do indicate hope for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar.  Nevertheless,  the two countries do need to actively work for growing regional cooperation. India’s Act East Policy requires a collaborative Myanmar. For Myanmar, support of a regional power is essential for several developmental and geopolitical goals. Furthermore, a united front in the Southeast Asian region is significant for the global south to navigate geopolitical issues beneficially.

References 

1. “Treaty of Peace and Friendship.” Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/6645/Treaty.

2. Members and other Participants of NAM Movement. Membership Criteria of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. www.mea.gov.in/Images/pdf/Members-and-other-participants.pdf.

3. India Concerned about Violence in Myanmar, Urges Early Democratic Transition | Reuters, www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/india-concerned-about-border-violence-myanmar-urges-early-democratic-transition-2024-06-26/. Accessed 15 July 2024. 

4. Unicef.org, https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/rohingya-crisis. Accessed 15 July 2024.

5. Ramachandran, Sudha. “India’s Dangerous Myanmar Policy.” The Diplomat, The Diplomat, 26 Mar. 2021, https://thediplomat.com/2021/03/indias-dangerous-myanmar-policy/.

6. “History - Home-the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic.” Bimstec.org, https://bimstec.org/history. Accessed 15 July 2024.

7. “Mekong-Ganga Cooperation.” Gov.In, https://mgc.gov.in/about. Accessed 15 July 2024.

8. Gov.In,https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Myanmar22Nov.pdf. Accessed 15 July 2024.