Exiled Myanmarese leaders are shocked by India's lukewarm stance following the military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar, although analysts said New Delhi is walking a diplomatic tightrope to engage the junta for strategic reasons.
“It is indeed very shocking to find one of the world's largest democracies (India) adopting a nuanced approach when the military is trying to neutralise pro-democracy supporters in its next door neighbour,” Min Maung, an exiled Burmese student leader and now a correspondent for the British Broadcasting Service (Burmese Service) in New Delhi, told IANS by telephone.
According to information reaching this border town in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, it was the 12th straight day Saturday since large-scale protests erupted against the ruling junta, which caused outrage in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation by doubling fuel prices on August 15.
“Even Communist China has come down heavily on the junta's crackdown on the pro-democracy movement. The role of India is surely questionable although we still expect New Delhi to take some bold stand,” Kyaw Than, president of the All Burmese Students' League, said.
Than is among 2,500 Myanmarese nationals who fled to India after the military rulers cracked down on pro-democracy leaders in 1988. India's external affairs ministry gave a guarded statement earlier this week expressing 'concern' over the recent turmoil in Myanmar at a time when the whole world is condemning the brutal attacks on protesting monks.
“As a close and friendly neighbour, India hopes to see a peaceful, stable and prosperous Myanmar, where all sections of people will be included in a broad-based process of national reconciliation and political reform,” an Indian foreign office statement said.
“India is caught in a Catch 22 situation with several strategic factors forcing a restrained stand -- primary reason being that New Delhi would like to offset China's influence on Myanmar by being a little soft on the junta,” Said Wasbir Hussain, a security analyst on South Asian affairs based in the northeast.
