India for gaining foothold in Myanmar to counter China

By Amit Baruah

IMPHAL, FEB. 12 The External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, will cross the international border into Myanmar tomorrow to begin what could prove to be the most serious engagement with Yangon since the visit of the late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, in December 1987.

Mr. Singh, who has been invited by his Myanmar counterpart, Mr. U. Wing Aung, will inaugurate a 130 km road built by India, apart from holding meetings with the top leadership of the State Peace and Development Council.

He is likely to call on the SPDC Chairman, Gen. Than Shwe, the intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, apart from holding talks with Mr. Aung.

Mr. Singh's visit has been preceded by contacts at various levels, the most significant being the visit by the Myanmar Army Chief, Gen. Maung Aye, to India last November.

It is a known fact that India is keen on combating the growing influence of the Chinese in Myanmar.

A journalist and writer on Myanmar, Mr. Bertil Lintner, claims that arms worth between one and two billion dollars have been delivered by China to Myanmar in the 1990s.

In a recent paper, Mr. Lintner said: ``Of particular concern to India has been Chinese support for upgrading Burma (Myanmar's) naval facilities - including at least four electronic listening posts along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea: Man- aung on an island off the coast of western Arakan, or Rakhine, State; Hainggyi Island in the Irrawady delta, Zadetkyi (St. Matthew) Island just north of the entrance to the Malacca Strait, and the strategically important Coco Islands just north of India's Andaman islands....''

According to Mr. Lintner, the Chinese interest (in Myanmar) has increased after India getting involved in Myanmar. He claims that India is now supplying non-lethal military equipment to Myanmar, including uniforms and other combat gear.

He claims, quoting intelligence sources, that the Chinese want to transport goods from Bhamo on the Irrawady river (close to the Chinese border) to Minhla, some 1000 km down river. ``From Minhla, a road is being built across the Arakan Yoma mountain range, running via An to Kyaukpyu on the coast. Kyaukpyu has been chosen as the site for a new deep water port.''

Kyaukpyu, which lies at the northern end of the offshore island of Ramree in Combermere Bay, an inlet of the Bay of Bengal, is 400 km north-west of Yangon. It has an excellent natural harbour and is a regular port of call for steamers in the rice trade between Yangon and Calcutta.

There are also reports of tens of thousands of illegal Chinese migrants having entered northern Myanmar and taken control of businesses there. This, apparently, has also caused tensions with the local population.

The Chinese, clearly, are far ahead of India in Myanmar. Rather than looking at the issue in terms of ``strategic competition'', India must do whatever it can to promote trade, build infrastructure and have a cordial relationship with Myanmar at all levels.

The ``strategic direction'' taken by China to it's neighbourhood was spelt out in no uncertain terms by the Chinese Premier, Mr. Zhu Rongji, at the ASEAN-China summit in Singapore in November.

``In the new century, China will enter a stage of developing a well-to-do society in an all-round manner accelerating the modernisation drive. To achieve this grand objective that we have set for us, we need a surrounding environment conducive to stability and development,'' Mr. Zhu said.

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