India, China and ASEAN on friendly terms with Burmese regime
Rome (AsiaNews) – The United Nations, the United States and the European Union might be worrying about how to stop the escalation of violence in Myanmar, but the latter’s neighbours are more concerned about avoiding shocks to their dealings with the military regime. China today called on both “parties,” the government and the opposition, to tone down the rhetoric and avoid acts that might jeopardise “the stability and progress” of Myanmar. Concerns for stability as the single, most important basis for economic progress and trade also explain interventions by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India.
Myanmar has been an ASEAN member for the past ten years. This has enabled the dictatorial regime to open up the country to tourism and increase trade in exchange for outside understanding.
The ASEAN group has always privileged “non-interference” in the internal affairs of its member countries. In the case of Myanmar it has called its relationship one of “constructive engagement” allowing ASEAN countries to seize the country’s forestry and rich natural gas reserves in exchange for an end to support to Myanmese ethnic rebels in their territories.
Thailand has especially profited from its tolerance attitude towards the junta and its crackdown on Myanmese rebels. Trade between the two countries grew by 5 per cent over the past year reaching 104.3 billion baths (about US$ 3.3 billion). Exports to Myanmar include gasoline, fishing equipment, motorcycles, building materials and imports are largely natural gas.
Myanmar’s natural gas (2,500 billion m3) represents 1.4 per cent of the world’s reserves and reason enough for anyone to find the generals presentable, despite their international bloodthirsty image.
Myanmar is capital-poor and lacks the necessary infrastructure to develop its natural resources. India is well-positioned to supply what is needed and continues to maintain a close relationship since the 1990s when democratic elections won by Aung San Suu Kyi were invalidated by the military.
New Delhi in fact continues to send technicians, engineers and other experts and Indian interests own 30 per cent of various off-shore drilling operations.
Indeed, The Indians would like to build a 950-kilometre pipeline from Myanmar through Bangladesh but have been unable so far because of differences with the Bangladeshis. In the meantime, Yangon signed a deal with China to build a US1$ billion gas pipeline.
Still not to be deterred by monk-led demonstrations in Yangon and elsewhere, India’s Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and senior executives of the Indian state Oil and Natural Gas Corporation visited Myanmar’s old capital and Naypyidaw, the new capital, to discuss closer energy cooperation and sign new offshore exploration agreements.
But as the largest democracy in the world India has not been spared criticism. Anti-Myanmese junta activists demonstrated in New Delhi with placards reading: “Hey, Murli Deora, Don’t Go For Gas, Go For Democracy.”
However their arguments pale in comparison with India’s fear of Chinese competition, another friend of the junta, hence New Delhi’s decision to supply the generals with armaments, notably counter-insurgency small arms.
Asked about how India might prevent the military from slaughtering its own people an India diplomat said that his country could not interfere in the internal affairs of another country and that India’s national interests must be taken into account.
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20/08/2004
