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India agrees to work with UN on Myanmar
February 1, 2008: (The Times of India) NEW DELHI: India doesn't want sanctions in Myanmar. But keeping bilateral relations intact, the government has agreed to work on the Myanmar military regime for national reconciliation and dialogue.
On his most recent visit to India, Ibrahim Gambari, UN secretary general's
special envoy on Myanmar,
requested the government to take on additional responsibilities on Myanmar. After
meeting PM Manmohan Singh, foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee and foreign
secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, Gambari said, "I am very encouraged."
Clearly, it's not enough any more to offer verbal support to the UN's work.
In an
exclusive conversation with TOI, Gambari said, "I have asked for
help from India on the
following issues: to help us source more information from Myanmar; to work as a reliable and influential
conduit for important messages to and from the Myanmar
government; help regularise my visits to Myanmar."
The Indian
government, he said, has promised to do its best. In fact, Gambari's optimism
is catching. "Last time, China
facilitated my trip to Myanmar.
This time, I believe it will be India."
Gambari is visiting China
in February. Asked when he would make his next trip to Myanmar,
Gambari said, "The Myanmar government has indicated I could visit in
April.
But that's too far away." India's
position has evolved significantly from the time when it was unwilling to lean
on Myanmar
for fear of endangering relations that had been painfully rebuilt. But that was
before the riots broke out last August. Since then, India has moved to officially
endorsing the UN secretary general's good offices. But this time, India will step
a few steps further.
The Indian
position has also been further nuanced after been pressured by leaders like
Gordon Brown to Nicolas Sarkozy.
Particularly, the message that China had stepped up to the table while India was found
wanting did not go down well in the government. A lot of the Indian
government's evolution in thinking was shared with the Myanmar foreign minister who visited New Delhi in January.
India has also joined the UN secretary-general's Group of Friends, a group of 14 countries including India, China, Japan, Asean and the P-5, to be able to exert influence on Myanmar while working out ways to help the country emerge from its isolation.