Don't lose Myanmar gains in New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Myanmar was productive. The two countries signed 11 agreements, including eight memorandums of understanding in areas such as maritime security, capacity building, etc. Co-operation between the two countries has focused on capacity building in recent decades. Modi’s visit saw the two sides signing agreements relating to upgradation of Myanmar’s women’s police training centre and imparting of Information Technology skills. Co-operation between the election commissions of the two countries is poised to grow, as are cultural exchanges. Modi’s visit came at a time when violence against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims has surged significantly. Myanmar’s state counsellor and Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has come under fierce criticism, especially from the West and countries in the Muslim world, for not speaking up against the terrible violence the Myanmar military is unleashing on the Rohingya. At such a time, Modi’s statement expressing strong support to Myanmar’s territorial integrity would have been warmly appreciated in Nay Pyi Taw. Since independence from colonial rule, Myanmar has struggled to quell powerful ethno-nationalist movements that have remained alive for decades. And Modi did well to assure the Myanmar government of India’s support to Myanmar’s territorial integrity.

However, India’s policy towards the Rohingya refugees is a matter of concern. There are around 40,000 Rohingyas living in India and the Modi government is considering pushing them out. This is unconscionable. The Rohingya are a state-less people and they are at the receiving end of extreme violence in Myanmar. Tens of thousands have fled the country. Is India going to push them back into Myanmar? It would mean certain death for many. India is not a signatory to the Refugee Conventions and thus is not obligated to accept refugees. But humanitarianism has always been a key component of our engagement with the world. For centuries, India has provided a home for people fleeing persecution elsewhere. Sending back the Rohingya would be a violation of a principle on which India’s foreign policy is based. People fleeing persecution should be provided a safe home irrespective of their nationality, religion or ethnicity.

Myanmar is an important neighbour. It is India’s land-bridge to Southeast Asia, a key partner of India in the realisation of the goals of its ‘Act East’ policy. Good relations with Myanmar is necessary for the success of India’s counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast and to contain China’s enormous influence in Myanmar. Cultivating Myanmar’s rulers is undoubtedly important for India’s economic and strategic interests. Sending back the Rohingya refugees to Myanmar would not only be inhumane but it is also unlikely to endear us to Myanmar. Gains made in Myanmar should not be lost in New Delhi.