India should rethink its Myanmar policy: I K Gujral

Gujral said that it was an irony that India, a role model in democracy, is surrounded by military governments in  its neighbourhood, and called for a review of foreign policies for its neighbouring countries.

"Burma (Myanmar) has a military regime, so do Pakistan and Bangladesh. The time has come that we seriously ponder and contemplate this possible ramifications of the situation," Gujral said. Endorsing GujralÂ’s view, former defence minister Fernandes said that the government was not doing enough to counter China's growing influence in Myanmar.

"China is trying hard to spread its ideology in Burma. We are not doing anything to counter that. Our policies are limited to efforts to acquire their petroleum," Fernandes claimed. Their statements assume significance as earlier this week, both houses of the US Congress voted to renew for an additional year US sanctions on Myanmar, which include a ban on imports.

In January, Russia and China had, however, objected to a US proposal to put Myanmar on the Security Council agenda that would have allowed the human rights situation there to be formally discussed at the forum. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a part, had asked the military junta at a summit last month to restore democracy and overcame objections from the military-ruled nation on setting up a regional human rights body.

In early August, 2007, Myanmar decided to sell gas to China via a pipeline from its A1 and A3 blocks, in which Indian firms have stakes, despite an agreement with Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) as preferential buyer of gas from the two blocks.