India’s Myanmar Policy: Rational Change more

Myanmar's military ruler Senior General Than Shwe undertook a five day goodwill visit to India in July 2010. The General’s itinerary included official business in New Delhi as well as visit to Buddhist shrines of Bodh Gaya and Saranath. Predictably, the visit by the 77 year old military leader came under much criticism from the Myamarese pro-democracy forums who took objection to India welcoming the military ruler and called the Indian move ‘shameless’. Irrawady, the United States based pro-democracy advocacy forum commented in its August 2010 editorial, “India’s red-carpet welcome of Than Shwe strongly indicates that no matter how egregiously his military regime manipulates the process to ensure an outcome and future government in its favor, New Delhi is likely to honor the result of Burma’s election.”  The understandable criticism of this hopelessly marginalized and outnumbered group of pro-democracy activists notwithstanding, Than Swe’s visit marked the continuation of India’s new Myanmar policy which has come out of the grove of idealism and rooting itself deep in realpolitik.