‘Myanmar’s Military Regime Is Hard To Influence’

NEW DELHI: Barely 24 hours after India’s foreign secretary Harsh Shringla departed Myanmar after two days of talks with the military leadership, China gifted a submarine to the Myanmar Navy amid much fanfare. Does this suggest a certain lack of regard for India in Myanmar?

In this conversation on StratNewsGlobal, Gautam Mukhopadhaya, former ambassador to Myanmar, argues that traditionally, the military in that country has kept the outside world at arms length. They welcome aid and assistance, but are driven by a strong sense of independence. Add to that, bilateral trade is low and there are hardly any Indian investments in that country.

Ambassador Mukhopadhaya believes India has no option but to work with other countries especially Asean. India may also need to open a dialogue with the ousted government and thereby broaden its current largely security driven policy.

Listen in to this conversation with Ambassador Gautam Mukhopadhaya.