India’s Army Chief visits Burma

The chief of India’s army, General Deepak Kapoor, kicked off a three-day visit to Burma on Sunday to meet with Burmese generals to enhance military-to-military cooperation.

“We have always had close ties with them [Burma], including in counter-insurgency training,” an Indian army officer told Press Trust of India (PTI) on Sunday.

Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor inspects the guard of honour during the Army Day parade in New Delhi in January. (Photo: Reuters)

The PTI reported that the Indian generals’ visit to Burma “comes at a time when China has unveiled plans to construct a railway line up to its border” with military-ruled Burma.

Commenting on Beijing’s influence in the region, Deepak Kapoor, in a TV interview on Oct. 6, said, “The Indian army is capable of looking after and ensuring the defense of the country. It would take care of any aggression against Indian territory.”

“The charter of the Indian army is to defend India’s territory and that will be ensured at all costs. Any talks of a repeat of 1962, I think that it is totally incorrect and uncalled for and it’s not fair,” he said, referring to the Sino-India border conflict in 1962 when the Chinese People’s Liberation Army advanced into India’s territory.

Recently, India media have accused the Chinese military of transgressions in 2008 and 2009. 

“As far the transgressions are concerned, in the year 2009 so far, they are almost exactly at the same level as they were in the same corresponding period in 2008,” Deepak Kapoor said.

Burmese state-run media have not reported on the meeting with India’s military chief. 

Following the crackdown on the 1988 democracy uprising in Burma, India was a strong supporter of the Burmese pro-democracy movement, and it is now home of tens of thousands of Burmese refugee.

India’s pro-democracy policy on Burma made a sudden turn when the world’s largest democracy launched its “Look East Policy” in the 1990s to counter Chinese influence in Southeast Asia.

Since then, India has built a closer relationship with the Burmese junta, engaging in increased trade and providing it with military hardware, while toning down its pro-democracy stance.

“The Sino-Burmese gas pipeline and the Kumming-Singapore railway route through Burma are concerns for India. Apart from their Chinese concerns, the Indian insurgency in the northwest is another significant issue in the Indo-Burmese relationship,” said Tint Swe, an exiled Burmese politician in New Delhi.
 
The Burmese military cooperated more closely with its Indian counterparts in counter insurgency along the border after New Delhi toned down its pro-democracy policy on Burma. However, Indian insurgents are still based in Burmese jungles along the border and they frequently clash with the Indian army using Chinese-made weapons.

The Jame’s Intelligence Review reported in 2008 that Indian insurgents bought Chinese weapons through the biggest non-state armed group in Burma, the United Wa State Army, based on the Sino-Burmese border.

Burma military experts say the junta wants a good relationship with India to balance its dependency on China. The Burmese military has imported arms from India and also sent military officers to attend India’s military academies.

The junta’s No.2, Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, is the key player in improving the Indo-Burma relationship. His last visit to India was in early April 2008. During the trip, India signed mult-million dollar agreements for the construction of a seaport and transportation system in Burma.

According to India’s media, former Indian Army chief Gen. J. J. Singh and Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash visited Burma in November 2005 and January 2006.

Meanwhile, US President Barrack Obama’s new Burma policy calls for more pro-active cooperation from Burma’s neighbors, such as India and China, in promoting democracy in the military-ruled state. 

Irrawaddy correspondent Zarni Mann contributed to this story from New Delhi.