In a major diplomatic initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met for the first time with Myanmar's junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing since the February 2021 military coup. The meeting occurred on the margins of the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok, which represents India's strongest push so far for democratic restoration in Myanmar at the political level.
At the meetings, Modi reinforced the importance of restoring democracy in the form of inclusive and trustworthy elections, and reiterated that genuine peace in Myanmar could be won only through talking, not the use of the gun. It was a blunt and exceptional India call for the holding of polls in the turbulent nation, which has been racked by civil turmoil since the takeover by the army.
As per Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official Randhir Jaiswal, the Prime Minister also called for making the post-earthquake ceasefire permanent and reaffirmed India's pledge to standing by the people of Myanmar amidst the humanitarian crisis triggered by the deadly earthquake that recently killed more than 3,000 people.
Modi expressed India's readiness to increase relief efforts, and he added that military field hospitals were already in operation in Mandalay and NDRF teams were engaged in relief operations. General Min Aung Hlaing welcomed India's relief efforts during the disaster.
The MEA, in a statement, said India encouraged "a Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led transition to a peaceful, stable and democratic future." Modi also recognized the ethnic violence and human toll of the conflict so far, asserting again that there could be no military solution which would lead to enduring peace.
Apart from humanitarian and political concerns, the two leaders also talked about collaborations in counter-insurgency operations, transnational crime, and human trafficking along the India–Myanmar border. Modi also expressed gratitude to Myanmar for assistance in the rescue and repatriation of Indian nationals who were stranded in cyber scam hubs being run along the Myanmar–Thailand border.
General Min Aung Hlaing also graced the official BIMSTEC dinner hosted by Thailand. Disaster management dominated the talks at the ministerial meetings, taking into account common concerns in the region.
After the summit, Prime Minister Modi departed for Colombo, Sri Lanka, where five cabinet ministers welcomed him, among them being Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. He will meet President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday to deliberate on bilateral relations and regional cooperation.
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