Debating India’s Burma policy

Nga Ngai
Mizzima News: 25 May, 2006

The Indian Parliamentarians' Forum for Democracy in Burma today called on the India government to take a stronger stand on Burma.

In a statement, the group said they hoped India would not let economic and energy interests get in the way of promoting democracy.

Robert Kharshiing, an Indian Member of Parliament and the convener of the IPFDB, talked to Mizzima’s Nga Ngai in New Delhi today about India’s foreign policy on Burma.

Given current political situation, what should India’s policy toward Burma be?

The Burmese military regime [should] first release Madam Aung San Suu Kyi and to immediately start the process of holding negotiations with all concerned—those who are gone out of the country, those who are within the country but are not supporting the views of the military regime—and to help the movement for a meeting for national reconciliation which is important that all sides who support democracy or even the military regime themselves, for the sake of Burma and for the sake all its people.

[They should] immediately have dialogue to form the party government, all consensus government, or a national government, or a government of reconciliation in which every party is able to participate.

What is your opinion on the move to have Burma included on the United Nations Security Council agenda?

We welcome a recent move of the UN Security Council to hold a special briefing on the situation in Burma. We are happy that the Security Council, in spite of its very busy schedule with other issues around the world . . . have taken up this . . . into the modern world. If an imminent leader, especially a lady, is under house arrest, the [Security Council] which looks after every nation in the world should take this as a special case.

We have seen (the) changes (that) came about from South Africa, after Nelson Mandela was released and now we have the imminent lady, Nobel Peace Prize winner who is under house arrest. And in today’s world such a thing is intolerable so we welcome the move of the Security Council . . .

What are the future plans of the IPFDB?

Initially, we aim to get more members of parliament involved. We hope also to make them to aware [of] the current situation in Burma.

Many are sympathetic . . . so we would like to invite more and more Indian MPs from all parties, whether ruling or opposition, to join this Indian Parliamentarians Forum on Democracy in Burma to urge the military regime in Burma to immediately release madam Aung San Suu Kyi and to immediately open a process of dialogue with all concerned.

So we have 245 members of parliaments in Raja Sabha and 545 in Loka Sabha. We will be writing to all of them to get all of them involved—as many as possible. Then in November, we hope to hold a joint mini conference between Indian Members of Parliament and ASEAN Members of Parliament who are concerned about the issue of Burma.

How many MPs have already joined your group?

Right now those who are committed are about 10 but many more have expressed their sympathy and support . . .

What is India’s policy on Burma?

Right now, there have been more proper debates in parliament and [we have a clear idea of the policy]. To a number of us, we are not happy with it. I am from the ruling side, but I am not too happy to see that we are having regular visits to Burma, for the reason that we would like more energy, more gas. But I think we should put more pressure on the military regime to democratise the country and to resolve the human rights situation.

I appeal our nation’s leaders not to forget that sixty years ago, we ourselves were under going the freedom struggle and not too long ago many of our leaders were in jail, fighting for freedom. At that time we were . . . happy when other nations and the world support the freedom struggle. So now that we are free . . . we must stand up for those nations and peoples who are struggling for their own freedom. And the military regimes and dictatorships—especially repressive (ones)—should not be tolerant.

We should not sell such our ideals and our dreams for the sake of just economic benefits.