Indo Myanmar Cooperation Progressing On An Even Keel
Since late 1960s Naga insurgents have been maintaining cross-border sanctuaries in Myanmar. From there these rebels sent their teams through northern Myanmar’s rugged and mountainous terrain into China, to receive military training and weapons.
The support increased after China and India fought a brief border skirmish in 1962. However China’s direct support for the groups ceased in the mid-1970s, though Beijing has been maintaining contacts with Naga rebel factions, including the National Socialist Council of Nagaland [or Nagalim]-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), a group comprising mainly of Nagas from India which have established a presence even in Thailand.
These insurgents hiding in remote northern Myanmar have been launching armed raids into India and then retreating back across the border beyond the reach of Indian Army or the Assam Rifles. Myanmar was earlier unwilling and also unable to uproot those rebel sanctuaries.
This had remained a big problem in the bilateral relations between the two countries contributing to mutual mistrust and suspicion over the years.
India launched a cross-border surgical strike in June 2015 on the NSCN-K in response to an ambush the previous month that had killed 19 Indian soldiers in Chandel, Manipur.
Since then things have been changing. In January this year more than 400 Myanmar troops drove the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) from its headquarters at Taga in the northern Sagaing Region.
NSCN-K shared the camp with militants from the United Liberation Front of Asom [Assam] (ULFA) and other rebel outfits from Manipur. Recently Myanmar army Major General Tun Tun Nyi said operations will continue against the NSCN-K and the other Indian insurgent groups it is sheltering. This move has deprived the insurgents of their important camp and sanctuary in Myanmar, and thus will certainly affect their ability to launch cross-border assaults into India.
Western Countries in a most foolish move had tried to make Myanmar an outcast. However India and China would not permit such a thing at any cost. One middle east is bad enough for the world and the Vietnam conflict is still fresh in our minds.
The West after creating the problems in the first place all over the world now recoils over the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar. In the United Nations they have got it labelled as “genocidal intent.” However India and China will have none of it.
Under China’s Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects are underway in Myanmar with the aim of establishing a trade corridor connecting landlocked southwestern China through Myanmar down to the Indian Ocean. There is also a port project at Kyaukphyu, a high-speed rail and thousands of kilometers of pipelines.
India too has started playing a vital balancing role through highway, port and power line connectivity with Indian states in the North East and also through arms sales and other strategic cooperation with the Myanmar military.
In November that year, India and Myanmar held their first ever bilateral military exercises, which while focused on “peacekeeping operations” were more strategically significant.
In March 2018, the Indian and Myanmar navies conducted a maiden joint exercise in the Bay of Bengal. The Myanmar military’s recent move against the Indian rebels in Sagaing should thus be viewed through a wider geo-strategic lens, military and strategic analysts say.
NSCN-K insurgents have now been chased out of their main bases and five of its top leaders have been arrested and charged under Myanmar’s Unlawful Associations Act for harboring insurgents from the Indian side of the border.
Security cooperation between India and Myanmar is fast improving. As things stand today even China should go along with India-Myanmar cooperation against the rebels, in its own interest.
