The union government is under fire over its relations with Myanmar, its eastern neighbour, following the military’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.On Tuesday, the Manipur government rescinded a notice instructing district officials to “politely turn away” those affected by the crackdown.According to the Manipur’s special home secretary, the state continues to offer “all assistance” to those who are experiencing these emotions.Last week, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant asylum to Myanmar refugees, citing a “human tragedy of enormous proportions.”Since the February 1 coup, over 1,000 Myanmarese, mainly Chins (ethnically linked to Mizoram’s Zo people), have crossed over to Mizoram.In Manipur, the BJP leads the NDA government and is allied with Zoramthanga’s Mizo National Front in Mizoram.New Delhi has declined to offer asylum, claiming that the country is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.It hasn’t condemned the military; it supports “the mechanism of political change in Myanmar” and is “monitoring” the situation.The relations are crucial from a strategic standpoint. Since insurgents in the northeast take advantage of the porous Indo-Myanmar border, working with the Myanmarese military is critical.In addition, New Delhi is collaborating with Myanmar to expel Rohingya refugees from India.After that, there’s China. Beijing’s relations with Myanmar’s all-powerful military have slowly strengthened, so criticising the coup could bring the generals closer to Beijing.ReplyForward
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