[IE]
Border disputes are not new for India but the recent one that has
erupted between Myanmar and India is an altogether different kettle of
fish. Unlike in the case of China and Pakistan with which India has
long-standing border issues, there is no well-established mechanism to
deal with any India-Myanmar dispute. So when the Myanmarese forces
allegedly intruded into Indian territory near Moreh in Manipur to set up
a post, it caused the border authorities quite a surprise. They did it
allegedly to prevent Indian farmers from entering Myanmar’s territory.
Ordinarily, it should have taken up the problem with India to find a
peaceful solution to it.
What has made the Myanmar stance
unacceptable is its claim that the post they sought to construct was on
its side of the border. In other words, it had all the characteristics
of a border intrusion, more so when the intruders refused to listen to
local Indian border officials. It is true that there are many stretches
on the 1,600km-long India-Myanmar border, which are not clearly
demarcated. It is against this backdrop that India has suggested the
setting up of a joint border working group which can address such
issues. If both sides want, fences can be erected to prevent free flow
of people and cattle, as has been the case so far. Anyway, these are
matters to be discussed across the table.
The dispute does not
redound to the credit of Indian diplomacy, either. South Block should
not have allowed the situation to reach that far. With the gradual
restoration of democracy in Myanmar, there has been a thaw in the
bilateral ties. India’s “look east” policy has a lot to do with Myanmar.
It is also true that many insurgent groups in the Northeast find a safe
haven in Myanmar, much to the discomfort of Indian security agencies.
China has for long been wooing the military junta, which effectively
still controls power in Myanmar. India should do everything possible to
ensure that Naypyidaw behaves properly and doesn’t become a pawn in the
hands of China.
