Indian FM to visit Burma for BIMSTEC meet

by Mungpi
Monday, 07 December 2009 18:42

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Indian Minister for External Affairs (MEA) S.M Krishna will commence a three-day visit to Burma, on Wednesday for a multilateral meeting to be held in capital Naypyitaw.

MEA officials told Mizzima on Monday that S.M Krishna would be attending the meeting of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), to be held from December 9 to 11 in the Burmese capital.

“We don’t have details of the schedule but we are sure that the Minister will start his trip on December 9,” an official at the MEA told Mizzima.

The official said, the 12th BIMSTEC ministerial and 14th Senior Official Meeting, would include discussion on trade and connectivity, a review of counter-terrorism cooperation among BIMSTEC members and also with China, which shares borders with several BIMSTEC countries.

According to a senior Indian journalist, Ramesh Ramachandran, the Foreign Minister is likely to take the opportunity to have a meeting on the sidelines with Burmese officials, where he is expected to discuss issues related to Northeast rebel groups, many of whom are reportedly using Burmese soil as a safe haven.

Krishna, during the BIMSTEC meeting, is also expected to take the opportunity to express to his counterparts, New Delhi’s concerns about the safe havens of Indian insurgent groups in their countries and to seek cooperation in the fight against separatism.

“It is likely that the Indian Foreign Minister will have an informal pull aside meeting with Burmese officials on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC meeting,” Ramachandran, who has been closely following the Indian Foreign Minister’s visit to Burma, said.

He said Krishna is likely to raise the issue of North-eastern rebels with the Burmese officials during the informal meeting.

In recent days, Indian media quoting security officials have reported that members of Indian rebels, fighting against the central government, are taking shelter in Burma, along its border with China.

Indian security officials have also reported that they have in their custody Arabinda Rajkhowa, Chairman of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), an armed rebel group in India’s North-eastern state of Assam.

Reports also added that ULFA’s leader Paresh Barua is currently taking shelter in Kachin state of Burma, bordering China.

Responding to a question on Paresh Barua’s shelter, India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on Saturday told reporters in New Delhi that Paresh Barua is wanted in India for crimes against the Indian state, against Indian people, and India continues to seek his apprehension.

“We are in touch with our neighbouring countries about these matters. We expect all our neighbours to behave responsibly on this issue,” Rao said.

Ramachandran said the Foreign Minister is also likely to raise the issue of strengthening information-sharing and cooperation among the law enforcement agencies of the BIMSTEC members for combating transnational crime.

BIMSTEC comprises of India, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

One of India’s proclaimed reasons for reversing its pro-democratic supportive policy to a junta-friendly policy was seeking the cooperation of the Burmese military junta in tackling its North-eastern rebels fighting against the central government.