India works to end Myanmar's isolation

A team of 50 army doctors, paramedics and support staff will be in Myanmar on Saturday on an IL-76 with almost 6 tonnes of medicines.

It’s just the latest indication of a growing sense of trust that is developing between Myanmar’s generals and India. But thats not all.

Quietly over the last week, South Block worked overtime to achieve a significant diplomatic accomplishment — to help Myanmar overcome its distrust of the international community’s helping hand, while getting western countries to be a little more conscious about Myanmar’s sensitivities.

Over the last few days, Myanmar’s obduracy in receiving international aid for its cyclone victims had become a diplomatic issue. Outraged western commentators even advocated strong-arm tactics to force aid down Myanmar’s throat.

The media avalanche got to the stage where some even contemplated invasion to help the victims. US ships were waiting to deliver aid but the generals were not willing. In fact, when Qatar dared to bring mediapersons on its aid plane, the Myanmarese had no hesitation in ordering them back.

Given the scale of human tragedy that has hit Myanmar, it resulted in a slew of phone calls to Delhi from different capitals asking it to intercede.

Indian officials worked with the mandarins in Naypyidaw to deliver home the simple message — Myanmar needed the international aid and its refusal could end up creating a bigger human tragedy, and more importantly, it could have political consequences that the generals would not care for at all. It wasn’t easy — this is the closest to a hermetically sealed N Korea — and these decades of isolation haven’t helped.

India even offered to ferry the international aid to Myanmar from other countries if it made them feel more comfortable. Over many discussions and conversations, the Myanmar government relented.

Through the discussions India worked quietly, careful not to upset the sensitivities of the generals, believing that quiet diplomacy would be more effective.