Asked to comment on happenings in Myanmar, the new army chief said Indian armed forces had good relations with the armed forces of that country and "we are for maintaining these close relationships".
United Nations and private aid agencies went into high gear to provide humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands victims of a devastating cyclone in Myanmar as the military government there gave green signal to the world body to send emergency aid. It was yet unclear how the aid would be sent and whether UN will also distribute assistance sent by Non Governmental Organisations in the country where large areas are without electricity, fuel, food and drinking water.
India has agreed to increase cooperation in energy and transport with Myanmar, where India is keen to counter growing influence from China.\n\n
'The Kuki-Zo are aware of this rich resource in their areas and feel the Meitei push for ST status is because of this reason'.
The National Investigation Agency Saturday arrested a second accused linked to the case of a transnational conspiracy by Myanmar and Bangladesh-based leadership of terror outfits to wage war against India by exploiting the current ethnic strife in Manipur, an official said.
More than a million people were left homeless and many more in need of humanitarian assistance, with the deadly cyclone devastating large areas of Myanmar and killing at least 22,000, the United Nations said on Thursday. Another 41,000 are still missing. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Myanmar government to respond to the outpouring of international support and solidarity, by facilitating the arrival of aid workers and the clearance for the relief supplies.
The Irrawaddy delta, which was directly hit by Cyclone Nargis on Friday, remains cut off and it could be days, or even weeks, before aid reached the victims, UN said. Reports from Myanmar said in Yangon, volunteers including Buddhist monks and the army were trying to clear the debris, but in the adjoining areas where most of the more than 22,000 people died and twice the number went missing, the survivors were on their own.
Recently, First Lady Laura Bush, during a video teleconference in recognition of International Human Rights Day, said: "India, one of Burma's (Myanmar) closest trading partners, has stopped selling arms to the junta." However, a spokesman for the Indian Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the story.
India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp and GAIL (India) Ltd's equity in two gas rich offshore blocks in Myanmar have been cut following Myanmar's national oil company exercising its 'step-in' rights in the fields, gas from where will be sold to China.
Aiming to further boost bilateral trade ties, India and Myanmar will soon ink a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a joint trade committee.
Opening the plenary on Tuesday morning, Singapore premier Lee Hsein Loong said the ASEAN leaders will strive to prevent the Myanmar issue "from obstructing efforts to deepen integration and build an ASEAN Community" after the grouping abruptly withdrew an invitation to UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari to address the summit following Yangaon's objection.
India should to adopt a more nuanced political approach while continuing the present policy of economic support to the Junta regime in Myanmar, says B Raman
The road will help in transportation of goods and further development of SMEs in North East India
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Myanmar later this week where he will meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
More than 80 per cent of Indians live in districts vulnerable to climate risks. Among these, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Bihar are the most vulnerable states to extreme climate events.
Aseem Chhabra's Top 10 Films/ Series from TIFF 2024 includes films that he watched for the first time in Toronto. The films were impressive due to their rigor, passion, unique storytelling style and sometimes exploring the vulnerable sides of big name stars.
At present, in Myanmar, GAIL and IndianOil have a minority stake in a gas pipeline which goes to China, through South East Asia Gas Pipeline Company.
Sheikh Hasina, who was elected for a record fourth consecutive term and fifth overall term this year, was always admired by her supporters as "Iron Lady", before the dramatic development that abruptly ended her 15-year-rule in Bangladesh.
A United States-based human rights watchdog has criticised the Indian government for "offering" a military assistance package to Myanmar, saying that it is likely to be used to attacks civilians in its war against ethnic insurgents.
India is pitted against China, South Korea and Thailand in the race to secure the huge gas found in offshore Myanmar.
The project, the agreement for which was signed way back in 2009, had been gaining strategic relevance over the years as India-China ties took a hit.
The relief material from India started reaching Myanmar on Wednesday, with two Indian Air Force planes and two Naval ships arriving in the cyclone-hit country with urgently required essential supplies. India is sending another consignment of relief material by an IL-76 aircraft of IAF on Thursday to the neighbouring country, where the death toll has crossed 22,000 and is rising rapidly, revealing the extent of widespread devastation caused by the calamity.
The sources said the Indian side took up the issue of insurgent groups like United Nationalist Liberation Front and People's Liberation Army operating from across the border.
Vowing to take revenge over the killing of Burmese Muslims after they refused to convert to Buddhism, the Tehrik-e-Taliban has warned the Pakistan government to close down the Burmese embassy in Islamabad.
The ceasefire agreement between the Naga faction and Myanmar was signed without India being informed. It is likely to have long-term implications not only for the ethnic politics of the Naga-inhabited regions, but also for India's northeast and Myanmar, says Rahul Mishra.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a suspected terrorist for his alleged links with Myanmar-based rebel groups and conspiring to wage war against India by exploiting the current ethnic unrest in Manipur, an official said.
Two years ago, Myanmar was to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) what Bihar was to India: Dogged in its isolation, a region with low development indices and one the West loved to hate -- a state perpetually on the defensive. However, Myanmar's growth has also been as rapid as that seen by Bihar.
At least three BSF personnel sustained bullet injuries after gunmen fired at security forces in Manipur's Thoubal district, police said on Thursday.
Their policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries is cited as the ostensible reason for their reluctance to exercise pressure on the Myanmar junta.
After a landslide victory in the bye-elections will Myanmar's pro-democracy icon play the role of a constructive opposition or will she choose to maintain her political independence by not accepting any role under the present government. Senior analyst B Raman raises the big questions
the security sources said the banned group's leadership had shifted many of its cadre based in eastern Assam areas to its camps inside Myanmar.
Veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar has been appointed as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special adviser on Myanmar, the UN chief announced on Thursday
The United States and the United Kingdom on Tuesday led global condemnation of the sentencing of Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pressing for United Nations sanctions on the country's military junta. A court in Myanmar found Suu Kyi guilty of violating an internal security law and sentenced her to three years in prison with hard labour, but it was commuted to 18 months of house arrest by the country's military supremo.
Stepping up defence cooperation, India and the US are poised to unveil a roadmap for industries in the sector to partner closely in co-production, co-development and maintaining supply change during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US beginning June 21.
Bangladesh will protest in the United Nations against Myanmar's claim to a territorial sea in the Bay of Bengal, especially that of the "baseline" which is needed to delimit its maritime border, officials in Dhaka on Thursday.
In Myanmar, the two sides will sign an agreement on evacuation of natural gas from Arakan port of Myanmar, either through a pipeline via North East or Bangladesh.
Caught amid a raging battle between the Myanmar Army and Kachin rebels, the anti-talks faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam may be in a difficult situation.
Myanmar's reclusive and ailing dictator Than Shwe has resigned from his military post, paving the way for him to become the president after this year's general elections.Shwe, the despot who has brutally ruled Southeast Asia's poorest country as commander-in-chief of the armed forces since 1992, on Friday handed control of the army to his adjutant general. More than a dozen other senior military officers also resigned, in an ominous sign for the country's forthcoming election
OVL had bid for two of the 10 shallow-water blocks that Myanmar had auctioned in December but drew a blank when the fields were awarded on March 26.
The fundamental construct of India's neighbourhood policy still needs to be what Vajpayee postulated, Manmohan Singh embraced, and Modi energised. It's just that we need to junk domestic politics and excessive religiosity, while acquiring much humility and a renewed respectfulness towards our neighbours, recommends Shekhar Gupta.
