Recently in October 2015 India’s National Security Advisor witnessed the signing of peace accord between the Myanmar Government and eight of the 15 ethnic armed groups. China, Japan, Thailand, the United Nations and the European Union were the other witnesses to the accord. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoy for the North East R.N. Ravi and former Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, a former rebel, were also present on the occasion. However, the Myanmar-based National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) (NSCN-K) stayed away from signing the National Ceasefire Agreement; it is the same group that was responsible for ambushing the Dogra battalion troops of the Indian Army in June. As a response Indian Special Forces had carried out a raid in the trans-border region against the NSCN(K) meeting with a degree of success. Three years back S.S. Khaplang, a Burmese Naga, had signed a state-level ceasefire pact with Sagaing Region Minister for Security and Border Affairs in 2012, which is technically still in operation though he pulled out of a 14-year-old ceasefire pact with India in April this year before launching a series of offensives against the security forces in Nagaland and Manipur of which ambush on the Dogra battalion was the most serious. Not signing an accord with Burmese NSCN(K) by the Myanmar Government is being viewed as a positive development as far as the Indian Government is concerned and should be welcome.

Both India and Myanmar share a land border of 1,643 km and maritime domain in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Further, Myanmar has a long border with China in the north which is contiguous to the disputed border between India and China. These borders have been used by China earlier and several Indian insurgent groups for smuggling of arms, narcotics and other wherewithal to fuel the insurgency in the North-eastern parts of India.

Developments in Defence Relationship and Political Context

The military to military relations between India and Myanmar gained traction with the goodwill visit of the then Chief of Army Staff, General B.C. Joshi to Myanmar in May 1994. Supply of some military hardware followed. Momentum to the defence relationship was further imparted when in January 2000 when a military delegation led by the then Indian Army Chief, General V.P. Malik, visited Myanmar and met Myanmar’s senior military elite to forge a military to military relationship which over the years has proved very fruitful. Since 2000, after the return visit of General Maung Aye to India, bilateral annual border meetings between the two armies have been taking place regularly. India has also supplied a range of military hardware since then.

The scope for expansion of defence and security cooperation which had been limited earlier due to the nature of the dispensation in Nay Pyi Taw improved after opening up of Myanmar with ushering in of democratic reforms in 2010.

Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Myanmar in April 2012 after a gap of 25 years was recognition of the fact that the positive changes occurring on Myanmar’s political firmament had created conditions for enabling such a high level visit. A dozen memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed after the visit also indicate the diverse fields in which India is engaging Myanmar. Both leaders emphasised the need for enhanced cooperation between security forces and border guarding agencies for securing peace, security and stability in the border areas, which was crucial for overall development. Earlier, the first meeting of the bilateral Regional Border Committee had been held which was useful in promoting such cooperation and understanding for better border management.

Politically, reestablishment of formal relations with Aung San Suu Kyi was seen as one of the major gains of the visit. While she had close linkages with India in the past including active support by the Indian Government to the democracy movement in the 1980s, there was a break in this relationship due to geopolitics of the region. Though there were informal linkages and India had been pressing both sides, the military junta of the past and Suu Kyi-led NLD to reconcile their differences, Suu Kyi had maintained a public distance from New Delhi.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit in November 2014 to Myanmar to attend ASEAN-India and East Asia Summit and thereafter a bilateral with Myanmarese political leadership have further added substance to not only India’s ‘Look East’ policy or rather ‘Act East’ policy but also strengthened the strategic relationship with Nay Pyi Taw. Modi’s meeting with Suu Kyi in November 2014 also denotes continuance of a policy that lays emphasis on engaging all sections of the political spectrum.

Connectivity and Beyond

Myanmar’s strategic salience as a land bridge to China on the one hand and to the South East Asia on the other hand cannot be over-emphasised. While approaches from China through Myanmar are important from military security and economic point of view the connectivity to South East Asia is relevant from the economic and strategic point of view. Security and stability in the border areas is an imperative for overall development and establishment of multi-modal corridors linking India and Myanmar and beyond. Both Indian and Myanmar leaders have assured each other that territories of either country would not be allowed to be used for activities inimical to the other, including for training, sanctuary and other operations by terrorist and insurgent organisations and their operatives.

Evidently, where Indian officialdom needs to pay attention is in implementation of the decisions taken on some of the projects and schemes. The record in respect of execution of projects has not been very satisfactory so far.

Developments in Defence and Security Cooperation

The Indian Prime Minister during his visit to Myanmar in April 2012 had also stressed on the need for maritime security cooperation and observed that both India and Myanmar need to “expand our security cooperation that is vital not only to maintain peace along our land borders but also to protect maritime trade which we hope will open up through the sea route between Kolkata and Sittwe.” In February 2012 Myanmar Navy had taken part in joint naval exercises conducted by India with the participation of 14 nations’ navies (Milan series of naval exercises).

The visit of India’s Defence Minister to Myanmar in January 2013 was a continuation of trend that has marked the growing defence cooperation between the two countries. After a degree of democratic reforms in Myanmar that were ushered in 2010, many military dignitaries from both sides have exchanged visits to enhance military to military cooperation and address mutual border security threats and challenges. In fact, in last three years or so the three Indian services chiefs have visited Myanmar to forge a closer defence relationship with Myanmar. In January 2013, the Defence Minister was accompanied by Army Commander of Kolkata-based Eastern Command and Vice Chief of Indian Navy which highlighted the fact that India was keen to further address its concerns regarding land and maritime security concerns in coordination with Myanmar armed forces.

It is important for India to build up capacities of the Myanmar’s armed forces especially in relation to developing its prowess in fighting the insurgents. Since the year 2000 there have been off and on coordinated operations along the borders to flush out the insurgents. The insurgents take advantage of the difficult terrain along the borders and lack of adequate controls along the borders to carry out attacks and then cross over to Myanmar. The border management problems are further complicated by some of the existing trading arrangements for border trade.

Indian Defence Minister’s visit to Myanmar in 2013 had come in the background of clashes between the Kachin insurgents and the Myanmar armed forces; a lasting ceasefire is yet to be achieved though a nationwide ceasefire with all the insurgents expected to be achieved before the 2015 elections. Kachin Independent Organisation has been known to have cross-border linkages with Indian insurgent groups like the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in the shape of having provided shelter and advance military training to ULFA cadres.

Further, NSCN(K) as mentioned above is another active insurgent group which has trans-border affiliations with Myanmarese Nagas of Sagaing division opposite Indian states of Manipur and Nagaland. There have also been reports that a variety of North-eastern insurgent groups have joined together to coordinate their anti-India activities.

In May 2014 India and Myanmar signed a MoU on border cooperation which provides a framework for security cooperation and exchange of information between Indian and Myanmar security agencies. An important provision is that of conduct of coordinated patrols on their respective sides of the international border and the maritime boundary by the armed forces of the two countries.

India has been providing training facilities to Myanmar armed forces in professional and technical courses; the vacancies in such courses for the Myanmar defence forces are being regularly enhanced. Maintenance of some Russian origin equipment is also being provided by the Indian defence forces. Building of defence infrastructure in the border areas has been another proposition which may fructify soon. This would facilitate quick movement and deployment of Myanmar forces to tackle insurgents and maintain law and order in border areas.

Looking at the multilateral platform for defence cooperation, both Myanmar and India are members of ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus forum where shared defence and security concerns are discussed and joint exercises are carried out especially in the areas of non-traditional security. The basic objective of creating such a framework was to bring about cooperative security, especially in the areas of humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, maritime security, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping operations. Therefore, scope for further defence and security cooperation between the two nations has been enhanced under the aegis of ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting.

Concluding Observations

From Indian perspective there is a need for enhancement of bilateral ties in all fields, including defence. The following areas need particular attention:

• Improvement of mechanisms for coordinating patrolling by the Army along the land borders to prevent infiltration of insurgents.
• Similar arrangements for patrolling maritime boundaries to curb activities of insurgent groups.
• Ensuring that neither side allows the insurgents to use their territory for activities detrimental to each other’s security.
• Additional vacancies for training of Myanmar Army personnel in Indian training academies.
• Repair and training cover for Myanmar defence forces equipment of Russian origin.

Despite the recent opening up to the US and the West due to its nascent democratic and economic reforms China’s strategic influence in Myanmar is considerable. India’s engagement with Myanmar and the western interest in Myanmar would contribute to moderating China’s influence.

The author is a Senior Fellow with the Vivekananda International Foundation