INDIA CONTINUES "CLOSE AND NEIGHBORLY" TIES WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 005306

SIPDIS

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2027
TAGS: PGOV PREL BM IN
SUBJECT: INDIA CONTINUES "CLOSE AND NEIGHBORLY" TIES WITH
BURMA


Classified By: A/DCM Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (b and d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
announced that Deputy Minister in Burma's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Kyaw Thu visited Delhi on December 11-12 for
regularly scheduled Foreign Office consultations. Thu met
with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Foreign
Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon. The two sides reportedly

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signed an MOU to establish the India-Myanmar Center for
Enhancement of Information Technology Skills on 12 December
and discussed various developments projects including the
Kaladan Multi-modal Transport Project (Sittwe Port). The
visit signaled that the GOI continues a business as usual
approach to Burma. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Burmese Deputy Minister Kyaw Thu led a delegation to
Delhi on December 11-12 to discuss "areas of mutual
interest." The GOI's official press release noted that the
talks were marked by "the friendship and cordiality that mark
relations between India and Myanmar as close neighbors" and
part of regularly scheduled Foreign Office consultations, one
of seven institutional mechanisms between the two countries
for bilateral dialogue. The previous round was attended by
Indian Prime Minister's Office Special Envoy Shyam Saran in
June, 2006. Noting that bilateral trade is nearly USD one
billion, the MEA press release emphasized India's commitment
to the Kaladan Multi-modal Transport Project which includes
USD 103 million in Indian infrastructure upgrades to Burma's
Sittwe port. In addition, the two sides signed a Memorandum
of Understanding to establish the India-Myanmar Center for
Enhancement of Information Technology Sills in Yangon, a
project subsidized by the GOI. MEA's Burma desk declined to
comment further on the visit, stating that all aspects of the
dialogue were addressed in the press briefing.


3. (C) The "Asian Age" reported that Burmese exiles residing
in India questioned Indian motives for hosting a Burmese
ministerial delegation at a time when the international
community is trying to forge a coalition against the military
junta. The newspaper quoted Parliament of the National
League for Democracy member Dr. Tine Swe as stating that,
"Instead of sending out a message of sympathy for the people
of Burma, India is doing business with the Burmese military
junta."


4. (C) COMMENT: More business as usual from India. Even if
we are to take at face value the assurances that GOI has
given that privately India is sending a strong message on the
need for democratic reform in Burma, these public
proclamations of close and neighborly ties send a mixed
signal at best. It is difficult to see how the Burmese would
be interpreting these signals as anything but India's tacit
approval of the status quo. END COMMENT.
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