India has told Myanmar that the border areas have been “seriously disturbed” and to avoid any actions that would “aggravate” the situation.
This was conveyed by external affairs minister S Jaishankar during a bilateral discussion with Myanmar’s foreign minister U Than Swe in Bangkok on the sidelines of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting on Sunday.
In a tweet, Jaishankar said that he underlined the importance of ensuring peace and stability in the border areas. “These have been seriously disturbed recently and any actions that aggravate the situation should be avoided,” he wrote.
“Our discussions focused on connectivity initiatives that have a larger regional significance… Stressed the importance of expediting projects that have faced challenges in the recent past, especially the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway,” he added.
The Indian minister also stated that he “flagged concerns about human and drug trafficking” and urged cooperation for the “early return of trafficked victims.”
India shares a 1,643 kilometre long border with Myanmar which runs along four states in the north east. Due to its proximity to India’s sensitive northeastern region, there have been concerns about the military junta’s actions which drive refugees across the border, as well as their inconsistent attitude towards insurgent groups. Over 50,000 refugees are estimated to have fled across into India following the junta’s crackdown after the 2021 coup.
Jaishankar also noted that India was “concerned about the humanitarian situation in Myanmar” and proposed “people-centric initiatives aimed to address the pressing challenges.”
India has remained engaged with the military junta after the February 2021 coup in Myanmar, though New Delhi has also raised the issue of democracy at various political encounters.
Jaishankar again stated that India “supports the democratic transition process in Myanmar and highlights the need for return of peace and stability.”
He reiterated that India will “closely coordinate our policy with ASEAN in this regard.”
Meanwhile, Jaishankar said that on the connectivity issue, India conveyed that it was important to expedite projects “that have faced challenges in the recent past, especially the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway.”
Later, during the MGC meeting, Jaishankar again raised the issue implementing the much-delayed trilateral highway and also concluding the motor vehicle agreement between the three countries. India, Thailand and Myanmar are working on a 1,400-km-long highway that would link India with Southeast Asia by land.
India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also said that peace and prosperity in the Mekong region play a pivotal role in realizing India’s vision for security and growth for all countries in the region under its Act East policy.
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