The Evolution And Tendency Of Indo-Myanmar Relation After 1988

India and Myanmar share a close and cordial relationship in the fields of politics, economy and culture from ancient to modern times. After independence from British Empire, Nehru and U Nu coordinated their own countries’foreign policy, and shared common standings in terms of international affairs. Both of them were members of Non-Aligned Movement and advocators of Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Based on above mentioned historic events, they had a friendly and cordial relationship in the whole 1950’s. The 1962 coup d’etat which capitulated Ne Win to power, started a unprecedentedly long military regime in Myanmar. Due to a tremendous gap between a democratic India’s idealist policy and Ne Win’s authoritarian regime’s dictatorship, together with Myanmar’s practicing self-imposed isolationism policy, Indo-Myanmar relation was reduced into a minimal level, which brought about few mutual official and civil exchanges. Close relationship shared by both countries during Nehru and U Nu’s period disappeared. In 1988, the new Myanmar junta took office after a bloody coup d’etat in Yangon. India, which boasted itself as the "largest democracy", strongly criticised the junta’s ruthless action against its people, and pressured the junta to hand the power to a elected civilian government immediately. Indo-Myanmar relation was in a standstill. In 1990, the junta’s denying the outcome of multi-party democratic election and refusing to hand the power to NLD exasperated the bilateral relation. However, turning point of bilateral relation came when India’s launching "Look East" policy and both countries’ political and economic reform gave them imputes to redress the bilateral relations. After BJP taking office in 1998, India took a more active realist policy toward Myanmar junta by setting supporting for Myanmar democratic movement aside, which was reciprocated by the junta’s moderating policy toward India, consequently. Then Indo-Myanmar relation presented a scenario of close cooperation in the fields of politics, economy and security, which laid a solid foundation for Indo-Myanmar relation in the new century. After the year of 2000, Indo-Myanmar relation got into a state of comprehensive cooperation after the mutual visits by high military officers. General Than Shwe visited India in 2004 and 2010 respectively, which was echoed by India’s president and other state leaders visiting Myanmar. U Thein Sein, taking office in 2011 after a nominal democratic election, visited India in the same year which was reported by world-wide media. In 2012, India’s prime minister Manmohan Singh met President Thein Sein as he made the first official visit to Myanmar by an Indian prime minister since 1987. During his three-day trip, Mr Singh met opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Also, Mutual beneficial cooperations were agreed on many fields during this historic visit. After making a comprehensive survey of Indo-Myanmar Relation, from 1988 to present, it could be divided into following four periods: Indo-Myanmar relation in bitter confrontation period(1988-1992), Indo-Myanmar relation in ameliorating period(1993-1999), Indo-Myanmar relation in comprehensive cooperation period (2000-2010), and Indo-Myanmar relation in deepening cooperation period(2011-present).This paper focuses analysis on the development of Indo-Myanmar relation since 1988. From deep and comprehensive analysis, we can safely arrive at the conclusion that Indo-Myanmar relation evolvement is based on their own national interests, such as security interest, economic interest, geopolitical interest. Moreover, the third parties play important roles in Indo-Myanmar relation to some extent in different stages. American-led Western countries impose fierce sanctions on Myanmar, and denounce India’s engagement with the Myanmar junta as immoral, urging Indian government to press the junta. However, most Asian countries, which play constructive roles in Myanmar democratization process, hope to engage with the junta government. Among Asian countries, both India and China are typical of this kind. As Indo-Myanmar relation turn mature in recent years, western countries play up the imaginative "vying" between India and China in Myanmar, in order to drive a wedge between India and China. However, from the point of objective and rational analysis, Indo-Myanmar relations will not inflict enormous negative effects on Sino-Myanmar relations. It is unnecessary for China to worry about Indo-Myanmar relations’doing harm to the Sino-Myanmar relations. On the other hand, prompted by their respective national interests, China cannot hold up the development of Indo-Myanmar relation. As a common neighbor of India and China, Myanmar will resort to former neutral policy to stay away from being hurt by its great neighbors to some extent. It is unwise for Myanmar’s wholly embracing one country while displeasing the other.This paper is divided into four chapters. The first chapter recalls the Indo-Myanmar relations before 1988. The second chapter discusses the Indo-Myanmar relations between 1988 and 2013, in terms of politics, economy and security. Then, the author discusses the causes giving rise to the uneven development of Indo-Myanmar relation from the perspectives of India, Myanmar and the third parties which include USA, ASEAN, China and democratic forces from both India and Myanmar. In the last chapter, this paper evaluates the present Indo-Myanmar relations, and forecasts Indo-Myanmar relations in the foreseeable future. It is safe to conclude that Indo-Myanmar relation is driven by their own national interests. Also, it is safe to make the conclusion that Indo-Myanmar is going to evolve along the present track.