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Myanmar
OpinionComment
Mohamed Zeeshan
Mohamed Zeeshan

Opinion | Myanmar coup a chance for India to champion a new global agenda

  • New Delhi’s inconsistency in its foreign policy has alienated neighbours, with China becoming the default option for counterbalancing India’s regional primacy
  • The lack of advocates for proactive state-building gives India a chance to lead this new agenda and solidify its global standing

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Protesters hold placards and shout slogans as they march in front of the US embassy during a demonstration against the military coup, in Yangon, Myanmar, on February 10. People have continued to rally across the country despite orders banning mass gatherings and reports of increasing use of force by police against anti-coup protesters. Photo: EPA-EFE
Mohamed Zeeshan

When the Myanmar military staged yet another coup early this month, it was a case of déjà vu for New Delhi.

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Three decades ago, when democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi was last detained, India started out with an aggressive campaign for her release and the installation of democracy. As the impasse continued, however, New Delhi changed tack and began engaging more with the military junta, even as the West maintained sanctions.

India’s main strategic challenge at the time was competing with Chinese influence. Beijing had ingratiated itself with the military junta, and Myanmar soon became China’s gateway to South Asia, including home to its earliest infrastructure projects. India, therefore, sought to deepen its own cooperation with the junta.
The price for New Delhi was the credibility of its commitment to a set of coherent values – not least in Myanmar. Elsewhere in South Asia, India continued to grapple with similar dilemmas – whether to continue standing up for the rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka or the reinstatement of democracy in the Maldives after a coup that deposed New Delhi’s ally, President Mohamed Nasheed.

India’s inability to be consistent in its foreign policy alienated all sides of the dispute in these countries. China soon became the default option for counterbalancing India’s primacy in South Asia, especially for more authoritarian leaders.

04:08

'Worst nightmare': violence feared after Myanmar military coup

'Worst nightmare': violence feared after Myanmar military coup
The dilemma is now back, but with higher stakes and more to lose as far as India is concerned. Myanmar is now India’s gateway to Southeast Asia, the entry point for its “Act East” policy and home to various connectivity projects. The Myanmar military has also been an important security partner in recent years against insurgents in India’s restive northeast region, located along the border between the two countries.
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