Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting on Sunday with Myanmar’s military coup leader Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China has strirred a huge row.
Leaders and activists with commitment to democratic values have taken offence to the parleys even questioning New Delhi’s stance on supression of human rights in the strife-torn nation.
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Yadanar Maung, spokesperson of Justice For Myanmar spokesperson, vehemently opposed the meeting alleging India of deepening copmplicity in the Junta’s crimes.
“By meeting with war criminal Min Aung Hlaing, responsible for ongoing mass atrocities, Prime Minister Modi is deepening India’s complicity in the junta’s international crimes and helping prop up a criminal junta. This so-called ‘bilateral cooperation’ between Modi and Min Aung Hlaing is not about peace or development, but about arming and supporting a junta that bombs schools, massacres children and is tightening surveillance and censorship ahead of sham elections,” he said.
India has often faced the ire for allegedly helping the Junta’s protracted stay at the helm.
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New Delhi’s role in bolstering the Junta’s prospects in elections has not cut ice with Opposition leaders in Myanmar.
Reports of imported voting machines arriving in Myanmar have often made headlines.
Despite the Junta claiming that voting machines were their own, most observers were of the view Russia had produced the machines.
Administrative sources from the capital of Naypyitaw informed that “Myanmar’s neigbour and the world’s largest democracy, India also played a part,” reports The Irrawaddy.
According to a report by Justice For Myanmar, “Indian Air Force and public sector undertakings (PSUs) are continuing to provide military equipment, infrastructure and training to the illegal Myanmar junta, aiding and abetting its ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Maung, continuing with his exaperation added, “India’s apparent decision to send election observers would further legitimise this sham process and lends dangerous credibility to the junta’s attempt to steal power from the people of Myanmar.”
“The junta is an illegitimate body and has no legal basis to join SCO. Any support for its membership only emboldens it to intensify its campaign of war crimes and crimes against humanity. India must immediately end political and military support to the illegal junta, halt arms sales and stop legitimising the junta’s sham election,” he elaborated.
Myanmar’s military has plans to hold a general election for elected seats in Amyotha Hluttaw and Pyithu Hluttaw of the Union Assembly on December 28, 2025.
The Assembly is currently dissolved.
The election would be the first after the military coup d’état in 2021.
In the wake of such an inconssitent secenario, PM Modi holding talks with the Junta leader has not gone down well with pro-democratic activists in Myanmar.
New Delhi’s reaction to the criticism is awaited.