New Delhi
7 February 2006
Certain politicians, including sitting Members of Parliament, have
said they would join Burmese pro-democracy activists in asking the President, Dr APJ
Abdul Kalam, not to visit Myanmar.
They questioned the logic of engaging the Burmese military junta despite the detention
of Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest or the lack of progress towards restoration of
democracy there.
Dr Kalam will visit that country in March, soon after United States President George W
Bush concludes his visit to India. It would be the first ever visit to Myanmar by an Indian
Head of State.
Reigniting engagement versus isolation debate, Mr Abani Roy of the Rajya Sabha felt
more needed to be done by India and international community alike for securing the
release of Suu Kyi and restoring democracy.
"We will meet with the President and talk to him," Mr Roy said, adding that the Indian
Parliamentarians Forum for Democracy in Burma would submit a memorandum and
possibly launch a signature campaign.
Dr Shambu Srivastava of JD(U) observed that New Delhi's policy of engagement has not
helped to quell the insurgency in India's North East. "On the contrary, there is credible
information that Burmese territory is used for complicating some of these problems," he
said.
Ms Thin Thin Aung of Women's League of Burma told this newspaper that Dr Kalam's
visit would send a "wrong signal" in that the military junta will see India as willing to
deal with it irrespective of the situation inside Burma.
Observing that "my country is on the brink of becoming a failed state," Dr Tint Swe, a
member of parliament of the Burmese Government-in-Exile, told this newspaper that
India was blindly following China in shaping its Burma policy.
Dr Sui Khar of the National Reconciliation Programme and Foreign Affairs Committee of
Ethnic Nationalities Council said India was a competent and appropriate country;
therefore, she should take a leadership role.
Meanwhile, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in
Burma, Mr Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, is likely to visit India soon for holding talks in New
Delhi with Burmese groups.
No comments:
Post a Comment