India-Myanmar strategic potential

[aarav]

Border trade between Myanmar and India reaches USD 87 million

By
Mizzima
On Monday, 1 October 2018
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People carry goods from Myanmar and enter India through Indo-Myanmar Friendship Gate at Moreh, some 120 kms from Imphal, the capital city of Manipur state. Photo: AFP

Border trade between Myanmar and India has reached 87 million U.S. dollars as of Sept. 21 during the six-month transitional period which started in April this year, according to Myanmar's Commerce Ministry on Sunday, Xinhua reported.

Myanmar has changed its fiscal year period from original April-March to Oct-Sept beginning 2018-2019, producing a six-month transitional gap.

The country's total border trade with India during this period saw a sharp increase by 54 million U.S. dollars compared to the same period of the last fiscal year 2017-2018 when it showed 33 million U.S. dollars.

 

[1971ftw]

Why is there so little Indio-Myanmar trade ?is the country still that unstable ?

 

[Advaidhya Tiwari]

Why is there so little Indio-Myanmar trade ?is the country still that unstable ?

Myanmar was never unstable. it is simply under developed. It is mostly a farming society with very little industry

 

[1971ftw]

Myanmar was never unstable. it is simply under developed. It is mostly a farming society with very little industry

Didn't they have a civil wars less then a decade ago & they were/still to a extent are a oppressed military ruled state.

 

[Advaidhya Tiwari]

Didn't they have a civil wars less then a decade ago & they were/still to a extent are a oppressed military ruled state.

They were not oppressed by military. Military had lot of popular support as the military is based on Burmese nationalism.

The democratic movement etc were simply motivated movements with foreign funding. They lacked popular support and only involved ignorants who were paid to simply shout slogans and march. Many of the unrest is caused by Christian converts led insurgency and Bangladesh supported insurgency.

There was never civil war where buddhists fought against the govt. Only the foreign funded groups were causing troubles taking advantage of diplomatic constraint against use of force against the foreign sympathising ethnicities

 

[aarav]

Why is there so little Indio-Myanmar trade ?is the country still that unstable ?

It is through this border gate, try to understand the article first ,the total trade data is around $ 2 billion which most happen through sea

 

[aarav]

India Extends $5 Million Aid to Myanmar for Border Development Projects
Under the 2012 Border Region Development agreement, the Indian government is extending USD 5 million micro development assistance every year for five years for projects on India-Myanmar border.

Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, Vikram Misri hands over US$ 4.95 Million Ceremonial Cheque to Union Minister for Border Affairs, Lt. General Ye Aung as India’s assistance to Myanmar’s Border Area Development Project on 26 November, 2018. Credit: IndiainMyanmar/Twitter

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Dhaka: India has extended a $5 million aid to Myanmar as assistance for development projects on the Indo-Myanmar border.

India’s ambassador to Myanmar, Vikram Misri handed over a cheque of $5 million to Myanmar’s minister for border affairs, Lt General Ye Aung at a ceremony on Monday.

Under the 2012 Border Region Development agreement, the Indian government is extending USD 5 million micro development assistance every year for five years for projects on India-Myanmar border.

“Friendship Project|Amb @VikramMisri handed over $4.95 Million Ceremonial Cheque to Union Minister for Border Affairs, Lt. General Ye Aung as India’s assistance to Myanmar’s Border Area Development Project,” Misri tweeted.

Also Read: India’s Decision to Deport the Rohingya Is a Violation of International and Domestic Obligations

India and Myanmar signed a Memorandum of Understanding for border development in May 2012, under which India is to provide a total of $25 million to Myanmar, divided into five tranches of $5 million each.

Under the first year project plan, 21 schools, 17 health centres and eight bridges are being built in Chin State and Naga Self Administered Zone of Myanmar through Myanmar’s Border Affairs ministry, according the information available on the website of the Indian Embassy in Myanmar.



Vikram Misri

@VikramMisri

#India - Taking development to the far corners of #Myanmar in Chin State and the #Naga Self Administered Zone through the Border Areas Development Programme - an India-Myanmar Friendship Project. Three years so far - 106 projects and counting.


The Myanmar government is in the process of selecting contractors to execute the second year projects under which five road projects each would be completed in Chin and Naga Self-Administered Zone, it said.

Three schools would be also set in Chin state and eight in the Naga Self-Administered Zone, it added.

Also Read: India Should Use Its Influence With Myanmar for Reconciliation on Rohingya Issue: UN Secretary General

Myanmar shares around 1600 km border with four Northeastern Indian states – Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.

 

[bhramos]

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[Why so serious?]

India all set to take over ops in Myanmar's Sittwe Port after Chabahar
By Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, ET Bureau | Jan 08, 2019, 04.50 PM IST

• Chabahar Port in Iran is all set to take over operations of Myanmar's Sittwe Port that will enable to counter-balance China's BRI in the Indo-Pacific region.
  
  In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of state for Shipping, Road transport and chemical & fertilizer Mansukh L Mandaviya informed that the "infrastructure at Sittwe Port in Myanmar, constructed with India’s assistance, is ready for operation."
  
  
  The rivals Ma
  The construction of Sittwe Port is part of the Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project and its objective is to create a multi-modal sea, river and road transport corridor for shipment of cargo from the eastern ports of India to Myanmar through Sittwe port as well as to north-eastern part of India via Myanmar.
  
  The approved construction cost of Sittwe Port and Inland Water Terminals at Sittwe and Paletwa is Rs. 517.29 crore.
  
  India and Myanmar signed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 22nd October, 2018 for operationalisation of the port at Sittwe and Inland Water Transport (IWT) Terminals at Sittwe and Paletwa. Once fully operational, the project would encourage investment and trade and also open up alternate routes for connectivity to India’s north-east region.
  
  The development comes even as India took over the operations of a part of Shahid Beheshti Port, Chabahar in Iran during the Chabahar Trilateral Agreement meeting that was held on December 24th, 2018.
  
  The heads of Indian, Iranian and Afghanistan delegation jointly inaugurated the office of the Indian SPV - India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ) at Chabahar. The physical take-over of the terminal area, cargo handling equipment and Office building was completed by December, 29th last year.
  
  Commercial operations began at IPGCFZ with the arrival of a vessel. A Cyprus registered bulk carrier had arrived at Chabahar with 72458 MT of corn cargo. The vessel MV MACHERAS berthed at the terminal a few days back on December 30th.
  
  According to the ministry of shipping, "this step marks the beginning of a long journey. India has written history with its engagement in Chabahar and is now leading the regional cooperation and joint efforts to support landlocked Afghanistan."
  
  Interestingly, this is the first time India will be operating a port outside its territories. India started interacting with Iran on Chabahar Port around 2003 but a major push was received in the second half of 2014, resulting in the signing of an MOU between the two countries for the development of Chabahar Port in May 2015.
  
  This MOU translated into a formal 10-year contract for equipping and operating the Chabahar Port, which was executed on May 23rd, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran.
  
  The US has already provided a wavier to India on the port as well as the railway line from the port to Afghan, after Delhi stood firm on its engagement with Tehran.

 

[bhramos]

There will be a 1360 kms long India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. #Myanmar #Thailand Why we don't extend it directly upto #Vietnam? And a high speed freight rail corridor may be a much better choice.

 

[Tshering22]

@aditya10r This could be a great for long distance bike riders.

Have you tried the India-Myanmar-Thailand highway that has been opened from Moreh in Manipur?
If you love bikes this is the ride to try.

 

[bhramos]

A district court in #Myanmar has sentenced 24 #Assam and #Manipur militants, who were arrested from their hideouts in January by the country’s army in a crackdown against Indian groups.

 

[Chinmoy]

A district court in #Myanmar has sentenced 24 #Assam and #Manipur militants, who were arrested from their hideouts in January by the country’s army in a crackdown against Indian groups.

Myanmar Army launches ops to flush out NE militants

GUWAHATI, May 19 - After occupying the camps of the militant groups of North East, the Myanmar Army has launched a fresh operation to flush out the ultras from the territory of that country. Meanwhile, the Government of China has so far been denying the fact that the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah is in that country.

Highly placed sources in the Government of India told The Assam Tribune that the Myanmar Army launched a fresh operation on May 17 to flush out the militants of North East from the territory of that country. The Myanmar Government has informed India about the plan chalked out in this regard and Army personnel would be ready to stay in the areas along the international border for a long period of time, if required, to flush out the militants. “The Government of India has been informed that Myanmar Army personnel have been directed to stay in that area for four to five months, if required, to ensure that members of the militant groups are driven out of the country,” sources added.

Sources said over the years, members of the militant groups of North East were staying in Myanmar with the help of the NSCN (K). The NSCN (K) has already signed a ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar Army and the headquarters of the outfit along with the camps of other militants groups were taken over by the Myanmar Army early this year. The Myanmar Army reportedly agreed to allow NSCN (K) members to stay in Myanmar in a separate place with the condition that the outfit would not allow any member of other militant groups to stay there, sources added. The Government of Myanmar has also been putting pressure on the NSCN (K) to sign the national ceasefire agreement signed by a number of other Myanmar-based ultra groups.

Sources revealed that though members of other militant outfits are staying in jungles and Naga inhabited villages in Myanmar, the Army personnel of that country are making serious effort to trace them out and the Government of Myanmar has assured India that all out efforts would be made to flush out all the members of the militant groups. Sources also pointed out that it would not be possible for the militants to stay in dense forests because of logistical problems and they would have to stay closer to human habitation. In such circumstances, it would be easier for the Myanmar Army to launch the operation.

Meanwhile, though China has signed an agreement with India to ensure each other’s cooperation in dealing with terrorism, the government of that country has not yet accepted the fact that Paresh Baruah mostly stays in China. “The Indian agencies have submitted details of the addresses where Paresh Baruah has been staying in China, but so far, the government of that country has been denying the fact,” sources added.

It may be mentioned here that the militants of the North East including those belonging to the ULFA (I) were totally caught off guard when they had to vacate the camps in Taga area of Myanmar early this year and they had to scatter to different places in small groups. The militants did not offer resistance as they were told by the NSCN (K) leaders not to do so and the camps were occupied by the Myanmar Army personnel.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=may2019/at057

 

[bhramos]

............................................

 

[aarav]

Myanmar can be strategic partner of India and it needs to lured out of Chinese influence ,in the 90s and early 2000s ,there was not any kind of relationship because of babudom and it's democracy sham rule ,in that period China made Myanmar a client state but after UPA 2 Myanmar got adequate attention and we have started a robust defense relationship with India defense exports being highest to Myanmar after Sri Lanka in the region ,with govt emphasising on defense exports , Myanmar defense forces looking to build a stable Navy, exports can even reach higher to Myanmar

 

[aarav]

As I Said Earlier ,big news incoming Indian Navy may handover a kilo class submarine to Myanmar after refit

 

[Tanmay]

Kaladan Project

Cargo from India will go from
Haldia Port to Sitwe Port(Myanmar)
Sitwe IWT To Paletwa IWT via river route (300 tonne capacityvessels)
Plaetwa to Zochawchhuah(Mizoram) via land road (4 lane)

Lets track the progress of Sitwe Port
MMS UPA Govt 2009

Lets move on to Paletwa Inland Waterway Terminal
Most work actually started post 2014

 

[Tanmay]

cont....

Also India supplied six 300tonne ships for the Inland Waterway Route from Sitwe to Paletwa.
https://www.irrawaddy.com/business/irrawaddy-business-roundup-july-1.html

India this week handed over six cargo vessels to Myanmar to support the Kaladan Multimodal Transport Project, a bilateral project that will connect the two countries via a water route from Rakhine State’s Sittwe to Paletwa in Chin State and a road from Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizzoram State, India.

The ships were built in Dala, Dagon Seikan and Dawbon dockyards in Yangon.by Myanmar’s Inland Waterways Transport at a cost of US$89 million, according to a statement by the Indian embassy in Yangon.

The vessels are 45 meters long and 9.5 meters wide and have a cargo capacity of 300 tons.


Work is continuing on the Kaladan project at Sittwe and Paletwa ports.

I guess these are the six ships. Similar to the Varanasi IWT barges carrying 16 continers perhaps

 

[Suryavanshi]

Prosperity of Myanmar is important to us, Since they are our dharmic kin and also a bargain chip agaisnt Bangladesh if it ever goes out of its way to act against India's Interest.

While Sitwee can never match Chittangong as it is deeper, we can still increase its importance by Turning it into an Exports hub either by setting up Indias companies there or simply Products manufactured in NE

 

[Suryavanshi]

These two states are very important to us.

Chin state: The only issue with this state is the Rebel organisation present all of which are funded by China
Also this region has 84% Christian's just something I noticed.

Population 500,000

Rakhine State: Same old Rohingaya trouble.

Population 3 million

It is both in India and Myanmar Interest to establish full control over this region.