Exercise caution in response to Myanmar coup: India tells United States

While the US threatened to reimpose sanctions on Myanmar, New Delhi suggested that such a move would push the poor nation further into China's debt trap

India has advised the United States to exercise caution in its response to the military coup in Myanmar, underlining that tough sanctions on the army generals would only help China, which has been trying to further expand its geopolitical influence in the South-East Asian nation.

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As External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, exchanged views on Myanmar, New Delhi advised President Joe Biden’s administration in Washington DC that diplomacy and sustained engagement with Myanmar Army generals could be more effective for restoration of a democratically elected government in Nay Pyi Taw.

New Delhi pointed out that if the Biden administration chose to reimpose US sanctions on Myanmar, it might end up helping China.

Biden touched upon the issue of the military coup in Myanmar when he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Blinken followed it up in a phone call with Jaishankar.

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The Myanmar Army on February 1 detained the country’s de facto ruler Aung San Suu Kyi and many other leaders and activists of her National League for Democracy (NLD). Though the NLD was re-elected to power in the general elections held on November 8, the opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), as well as its mentor – the Myanmar Army – alleged irregularities in the polling process.

New Delhi expressed “deep concern” over the military coup, but refrained from condemning the Myanmar Army. India also last week played a key role in mediating between the western nations and China over the text of the United Nations Security Council’s statement on Myanmar. The US and other western nations were keen to strongly “condemn” the Myanmar Army. China on the other hand suggested that the UNSC should just “take note” of the situation in Myanmar. The Security Council finally settled for a statement expressing “deep concern”.

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While the Biden administration threatened to reimpose US sanctions on Myanmar, New Delhi suggested that such a move would push the poor nation further into the debt trap of China.

Nay Pyi Taw has been purportedly upset over the continued flow of arms originating in China to militant organisations in Myanmar. The Royal Thai Army a few months back intercepted a huge consignment of illegal arms and ammunition, which had its origin in China and which was being smuggled into Myanmar.

Suu Kyi’s government had also started re-assessing some of the infrastructure projects Beijing is keen to bankroll under the proposed China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), apparently out of concerns over debt trap as a result of the Belt and Road Initiative — the ambitious cross-continental connectivity project launched by the communist country a few years back – could entail.