India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla on Thursday told the Myanmar military administration that democracy should be restored in the country “at the earliest”, the external affairs ministry said. In a statement, the ministry said that New Delhi proposed to renew efforts to ensure that Myanmar becomes a “stable, democratic, federal union”.
Shringla is on a two-day visit to the country – a first since the military coup in Myanmar in February.
During his meeting, Shringla also called for the release of detainees and prisoners and urged the military to resolve matters through dialogue and “complete cessation of all violence” in Myanmar. Since the military coup, the country has seen several incidents of violence and state repression against anti-military regime protestors.
As recently as on December 7, soldiers in Myanmar had allegedly shot 11 people and set them on firein a village in the country’s Sagaing region. The civilians were killed in retaliation to an attack out on a military convoy, witnesses in the Don Taw village had alleged.
At Thursday’s meeting Shringla reaffirmed India’s support to the ASEAN, or Association of Southeast Asian Nations grouping, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
The foreign secretary also raised matters related to India’s security, “especially in the light of the recent incident in Churachandpur district in southern Manipur”, the statement said.
An Indian Army Colonel, his wife and son, and four soldiers were killed on November 13 after militants ambushed a convoy of the Assam Rifles in Manipur’s Churachandpur district. The attack near the Sekhen village, close to the Myanmar border.
The People’s Liberation Army and Manipur Naga People’s Front had claimed responsibility for the attack.
“[The] foreign secretary stressed the need to put an end to any violence and maintain peace and stability in the border areas,” the ministry said. “Both sides reiterated their commitment to ensure that their respective territories would not be allowed to be used for any activities inimical to the other.
The Indian government said that India shares a near 1,700 kilometres-long border with Myanmar. Therefore, any developments in the country have a direct effect on India’s bordering regions.
“Peace and stability in Myanmar remain of utmost importance to India, specifically to its northeastern region,” the statement read. “As a democracy and close neighbour, India has been involved in the democratic transition process in Myanmar and in this context has worked with various stakeholders in developing capacities on democratic systems and practices.”
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