US seeks India's help on Burma

After the Bush Administration, at least two powerful Congressmen, who played a key role in the passage of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal from the House of Representatives and the Senate last year, said India needs to use its influence over the military junta to get things moving in Burma.

The comments came during the debate in both the Chambers of the Congress.

While the Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution against the Burmese military junta, the House of Representatives began debate on a similar resolution the same day.

China continues to occupy the centre stage among the Congressmen and Bush Administration because of its veto power in the UN Security Council and more closeness to the Burmese military junta.

The statements coming from Congressmen Tom Lantos and Joe Biden indicate that things might be a bit difficult for India when the 123 Agreement comes to the US Congress for approval if India is not seen exercising its clout over the Burmese rulers now.

Tom Lantos is now the Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, while Biden occupies the same position in Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Both are considered to be powerful committees. Both Lantos and Biden had a significant role to play when the nuke deal was stuck in the Congress last year.

''The military packages for Burma offered by the world's largest democracy - India - must be removed from the table,'' Lantos said in his speech on the floor of the House on Tuesday while discussing a House Resolution on Burma.

Soon after the Senate passed a resolution against the military junta, Biden in a statement said: ''Burma's neighbors - China, India and Thailand - hold the key to a peaceful transition in Burma. We should work with them to bring about change''

A Democratic presidential aspirant, Biden said: ''What is needed now is for the international community to bring pressure on the Generals who run Burma to hand over power to a civilian government.''

The bi-partisan Senate resolution, sponsored by John Kerry, former Democratic presidential candidate, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, besides condemning military junta's use of force against peaceful protestors said that the UN should strongly encourage China, India, and Russia to modify their position on Burma.

They also urged the countries to use their influence to convince the Government of Burma to engage in dialogue with opposition leaders and ethnic minorities towards national reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Nicholas Burns, the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, in an interview to the CNN hoped that India will use its influence over the military junta for change in the country.

Burns is the key Bush Administration official for negotiations with India on the nuke deal.

Congressmen believe that with India strengthening its economic and military ties with the military junta over the past several years is in a position to influence pro-people changes in this South East Asian nation.

However, India has publicly appeared to have differed on the stand taken by the US on Burma. At a discussion organised by the Council on Foreign Relations, the External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, said India was against imposing sanctions on Burma and it should be used as a last resort by the Security Council.

Instead he said, India favored engaging the present government in a dialogue process.