20TH ANNIVERSATY OF ABSDF

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INDIA HELPS UN

The UN secretary-general, urged India on Thursday to do more to promote democracy in its military-ruled neighbour Burma, as New Delhi steps up its engagement with the junta in the hope of securing much-needed energy supplies.
In a landmark speech in New Delhi, Mr Ban called on New Delhi to more actively support UN efforts to broker a dialogue between the military junta and Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Prize-winning democracy advocate who has spent 13 of the last 18 years under house arrest.
“India is a major regional and global player,” Mr Ban said. “I urge you to continue to champion the causes of democracy, the rule of law and good government . . . We already lean on you for peace-keeping. I would also like to see even stronger efforts to peacefully resolve conflict. Myanmar might benefit from greater Indian involvement.”
Following global condemnation of its violent crackdown last year on massive anti-government marches led by Buddhist monks, Burma’s ruling junta grudgingly accepted efforts by a UN envoy to broker a fresh round of talks between the junta and Ms Suu Kyi.
But the talks have gone nowhere, given the generals’ disinterest in anything short of Ms Suu Kyi’s endorsement of the regime’s controversial plans to hold elections in 2010 for a parliament that will have little real power. Meanwhile, the junta has kept up its persecution of its opponents, with human rights groups estimating about 2,000 dissidents are currently imprisoned.
In his speech, held in memory of Rajiv Gandhi, the slain former Indian prime minister, Mr Ban expressed frustration at the continuing detention of Ms Suu Kyi and other dissidents, and the failure to foster any credible, substantive dialogue between the military and pro-democracy opposition forces.
However, India is far more pre-occupied with stepping up its commercial and security engagement with Burma, as it seeks access to some of the country’s vast supplies of natural gas, and help from the generals to crack down on rebel groups from its troubled north-east, including Assam. India’s dealings with generals are also underpinned by a fundamental desire to counterbalance China’s evident influence there.
India, which once provided Burmese pro-democracy forces with financial and moral support, is now working with the generals to develop big infrastructure projects in Burma, including a port and transport facility at Sittwe. New Delhi is also extending substantial credit to the military for projects such as power transmission lines and a hydro-electric power project.
Jairam Ramesh, India’s minister of state for commerce and power, this month also inaugurated a new Indian-backed IT training centre in Rangoon, which is scheduled to train about 1,000 Burmese people a year in IT skills.