India and Neighbouring Countries: Myanmar

About Myanmar

Relationships between India and Myanmar are founded on common historical, ethnic, cultural, and religious links.
Over 1600 kilometers of land separate India and Myanmar, and they also have a marine border in the Bay of Bengal near Coco Island.
Myanmar shares a border with Indian states like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur.

Areas of Cooperation

Historical Relations
- Pre Independence: Till enactment of Government of India Act , 1935 by colonial government the Burma is considered as part of British India
- Pre Independence : Till enactment of Government of India Act , 1935 by colonial government the Burma is considered as part of British India.
Political Relations
- India and Myanmar established diplomatic relations and maintained close ties. India and Myanmar signed a Treaty of Friendship in 1951.
- Visit of the Prime Minister in 1987 laid the foundations for a stronger relationship between India and Myanmar.
- In 2002, the Indian Consulate in Mandalay was reopened, and the Consulate of Myanmar was set up in Kolkata.
- In 2014, Myanmar became part of India’s “Neighborhood First” policy and its “Act East” policy.
- Government-to-Government Platforms for Discussion
  - National Level Meeting (NLM): The primary discussion forum for security cooperation, consular matters, drug trafficking, and agency coordination was established by the Home Secretary.
  - Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWG): Boundary matters are discussed by Joint Secretary (BM), MEA.
  - Joint Trade Committee (JTC): Commercial issues are discussed in this held at the Commerce Minister level.
- Common Plateforms Share by India and Myanmar are – BIMSTEC , Mekong -Ganga Cooperation
Economic Relations
- Trade
  - India is the fifth-largest trading partner of Myanmar.
  - The growth is, however, not commensurate with the potential. India-Myanmar bilateral trade is conducted under the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) and India’s DutyFree Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme.
  - India stands at 11th position with an approved investment of US$ 773.038 million by 34 Indian enterprises as of 31 January 2022.
- Development Assistance
  - India has already extended $2 billion in soft loans.
  - India is also providing assistance in setting up institutions for higher learning and research, namely—the Myanmar Institute of Information Technology, etc.
- Connectivity Projects
  - In 2001, India and Myanmar inaugurated the 250-kilometer Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo highway, popularly called the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road.
  - India is building the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport to link Kolkata to Sittwe in Myanmar and then from Myanmar’s Kaladan river to India’s north-east.
Defence Relations
- Exercises
  - India-Myanmar Bilateral Army Exercise(IMBAX) is aimed at building and promoting closer relations with armies.
  - Both countrie participate in multilateral naval exercise MILAN.
- Operation Sunrise: Combined military operation against insurgency in the region.
- Defence Cooperation Agreement: India and Myanmar signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement in July 2019 with the intention of increasing military engagement.
Cultural Relation
- Both the countries share heritage of Buddhism and tribal ethenicity.Several important initiatives in the repair and preservation of numerous damaged pagodas as well as the restoration of Bagan’s Ananda Temple.
- Steps to enhance people to people contact by Land Border Crossing Agreement (2018)
- Visa on arrival for Indian Indian tourist in Myanmar.

Significance of Myanmar for India

Peace and Stability: Rohingya migration crisis and Coup by Junta create instability in the region.
Geostrategic Location: Myanmar acts as a gateway to ASEAN under India’s Act East Policy.
Internal Security: To contain insurgency in North East- Myanmar is of vital importance to India especially with respect to India’s northeast.
Containing the Rise of China: Myanmar is an important element for the success of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’, ‘Act East’, and ‘Indo-Pacific’ policies.
Common Forums: Both nations are members of international organisations such as BIMSTEC, ASEAN Regional Forum, Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, UN, WTO, and others so good relation is needed for common support.
Indo-Pacific Trade: Myanmar is an important partner in our Indo-Pacific Strategy. 65 per cent of the world’s population, 63 per cent of its gross domestic product, and 46 per cent of its commerce in goods are concentrated in the Indo-Pacific region.

Concerns in Relations

Coup by Military Junta: A recent coup by the military junta in Myanmar made it difficult for India to balance its strategic and economic interests with its commitment to democratic values and human rights.
Weak Trade Relations: With a total bilateral trade of $2 billion, India’s economic engagement with Myanmar lags behind China. India’s withdrawal from Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership can further increase this trade gap.
Rohingya Issue: The migration of Rohingyas in India is causing issues of internal security and exploitation of national resources of India.
Northeast Insurgency: Myanmar-China border is the hotbed of local armed separatist groups operating in Myanmar soil and Indian groups, ranging from ULFA in Assam to the NSCN (IM) in Nagaland.
Internal Security: The Indo-Myanmar border is porous and lightly policed, which is exploited by terrorist outfits and insurgent groups from the North Eastern part of India eg. supply of trained cadres, and arms trafficking.
Free Movement Regime: The Free Movement Regime is being exploited by militants and cross-border criminals for the illegal transportation of weapons, contraband goods, and counterfeit Indian currency.
Trust Deficit: It has widened in India-Myanmar because of delays in the implementation of various projects.
China Factor: China has asserted itself through its soft power as well as through its trade and economic relations with Myanmar by taking up large infrastructure projects. Also, Myanmar is part of the Belt and Road Initiative initiated by China.