TODAY -
'Myanmar will not co-operate with India in crossborder insurgencies'
Morung Express | Ratnadip Choudhury | Imphal, Oct 3:
Bertil Lintner, a scholar on Indo-Burmese affairs, tells Ratnadip Choudhury why it is tough for Myanmar to crack down on Northeast insurgency groups. Edited excerpts from an interview.
Q. Where do you think India has gone wrong with its policy when it comes to sub-continental neighbours, particularly Myanmar?
A. India’s policy is not wrong. Myanmar is not interested in cooperating with its neighbours when it comes to crossborder insurgencies. It fights insurgents on its own terms and doesn’t want to get into joint operations, which India wants with its neighbours.
Q. Is there a chance that India will get Myanmar’s support?
A. It is not in Myanmar’s interest to launch military operations against Indian insurgents. As long as these rebels don’t bother the Myanmar army, the army won’t bother them.
Q. In 1985, when you became the first foreign journalist to cross over from Nagaland to Myanmar, you saw two major insurgents, the Naga rebels and the ULFA, gearing up. After three decades, both are involved in peace processes at different levels. Does this guarantee a solution to the conflicts?
A. It depends how you define a solution. From the Indian point of view it would mean neutralising such groups by turning their leaders into politicians and businessmen. And, so far, that policy has been quite successful. But solving the underlying ethnic tensions between the Centre and the Northeast is a different ballgame.
Q. You have been in touch with the Naga rebel leaders for a long time. The NSCN(IM) has been involved in peace parleys for four years. In ULFA, chair Arabinda Rajkhowa is leading the peace bandwagon while its army chief Paresh Baruah is waging war with a handful of cadres. Do these splits weaken the scope of dialogue?
A. These are exactly the developments that New Delhi wants.
Follow the link to read the entire news here
* This Post is uploaded on October 04 2011
* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.
LATEST IN E-PAO.NET
Jump Start
DBS Imphal SubSite |
Readers Mail |
Editorials |
Education Announcements |
Essay |
Exclusive Event |
Flash - Audio Visual |
Incidents |
LFS Imphal SubSite |
News Timeline |
Poetry |
Opinion |
Sports |
Rock Concert |
RSS |
Top Stories |
Wathi Jugai