October 12: Six months after her Party swept elections in
Myanmar, State Counsellor the symbol of the country’s fight for democracy –
Aung San Suu Kyi will be coming to India on her maiden visit, albeit her first
visit abroad was China.
The National League for Democracy (NLD) has spent its initial period
strengthening its position in the country that has seen over five decades
Military Junta rule and Suu Kyi assumed the role of State Counsellor. She would
be visiting India on October 14 and after taking part in the BRICS’ outreach
programme for members of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral and
Technical Cooperation (BIMSTEC) she will be in Delhi till October 19.
“At the invitation of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, State Counselor
of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will pay a State
Visit to India from October 17-19, 2016. The State visit will take place
immediately after the conclusion of the BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit to be
held in Goa on October 16, to which the State Counselor will lead the Myanmar
delegation,” a statement of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced.
Suu Kyi is expected to meet President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Modi
and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj among other dignitaries. The visit
assumes significance as Myanmar is pivotal for India’s “Act East” and
“Neighbourhood First” policies as India share 1600 km long borders with it. The
country also has enhanced significance with its proximity to the north-eastern
states of India and can serve as a gateway for the geographically isolated
region of India with the South-East Asian countries. India is already working
on roads and bridged to link North-East India with Myanmar.
Border management in general is high on the agenda for discussions between
the two countries. Myanmar has given assurance that activities of insurgent
groups would not be “countenanced” from its territory.
Suu Kyi’s visit has come a after sometime and the importance of Suu Kyi, who
has lived in India for her higher studies, choosing China as her first
destination abroad after the democratic elections has not been lost on the
Indian diplomatic mandarins. The geo-strategic location of Myanmar as an entry
point to the Indian Ocean and its isolation following sanctions from the West
since the military took over in 1988 was taken full advantage by China. And in
the last decade there were some reports of China setting up listening posts on
Coco Islands belonging to Myanmar.
With these considerations in mind, Sushma Swaraj visited Myanmar in August
followed by a visit by Myanmar’s President U Htin Kyaw.
China keen to revive its hydro-power projects has found favour with Suu Kyi.
On the other hand, India has been trying to push the Indian businessmen to take
notice of opportunities in Myanmar coming with liberalisation of its procedures
for Foreign Investment. The MEA has been observing the “reticence” on the part
of Indian industry.
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