India & Myanmar

PM Manmohan Singh will hold talks with Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during his visit to the neighbouring country later this month. Officials said Suu Kyi would call on Singh to discuss Myanmar’s ongoing transformation into a fullfledged democracy. In what is a first by an Indian PM in 25 years, Singh will visit Myanmar for three days, starting May 27. He will hold talks with Myanmarese President Thein Sein on May 28. The visit is being talked about as one of the most important ones undertaken by Singh considering the geostrategic significance of Myanmar, a resource rich country, where China alone accounts for more than 70% of FDI in the hydrocarbon sector. The victory of Suu Kyi’s party, NLD, in the recent byelection is seen as further opening the doors for political reforms in the country. 
In the past, Suu Kyi has always urged New Delhi to play a more active role in democratization of Myanmar, insisting that India should not be driven purely by commercial considerations. While India always supported the pro-democracy movement, it also simultaneously courted the military junta as it tried to rein in rebels in the northeast and also to ensure that it did not lose out to other nations, in tapping Myanmar’s considerable energy sources.