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Pak set to woo Myanmar with weapons
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Pak set to woo Myanmar with weapons, soft loans
The Hindustan Times (New Delhi)
December 18, 2000
Shishir Gupta
WARY OF warmth in ties between India and Myanmar, Pakistan's Chief
Executive General Pervez Musharraf is all set to woo Yangon with weapons
and soft loans.
Highly-placed Government sources indicate that General will arrive in
Myanmar on January 4 on a two-day official visit. Javed Hassan, who is
in-charge of weapons and equipment in the Pakistan government, will
accompany the General. New Delhi will be watching the visit keenly as
External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh is also scheduled to visit
Myanmar in late January.
Yangon watchers believe that Pakistan wants to run a reality check on
its relations with Myanmar following latter's growing multi-faceted
bi-lateral engagement with India. General Maung Aye, vice-chairman of
Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council, visited New Delhi in
November and requested for assistance in the infrastructure development.
Gen Aye also sought assistance in development of deep sea ports and
offered to sell natural gas.
It is understood that during his visit, Gen Musharaf will offer small
arms such as assault rifles and mortars to Myanmar. He is also expected
to offer soft developmental loans and assistance in human resource
development.
Since 1989, Pakistan has tried to work of closer ties with Myanmar.
After an initial low-key phase, by 1995, Pakistan had established
intelligence links with Yangon and had trained Myanmar's Air Force and
Army personnel. Under the on-going defence cooperation between the two,
Pakistan had supplied 2.5 million dollars worth arms and ammunition, in
two consignments, in March-April last year.
Given the fact that both the countries have a lot of Chinese equipment,
the ties on this front are expected to get a boost with the General's
visit, defence analysts believe. The Indian perception of a political
interaction between Yangon and Islamabad is that Pakistani interest is
oriented towards keeping insurgency alive in the North-East.
However, India is not unduly bothered about Musharraf's visit as it has
already offered co-operation to Myanmar on all fronts, including
defence.
Analysts feel that Jaswant Singh's trip will go a long way in
"correcting Yangon's tilt" towards Islamabad. During his visit, Singh is
expected to inaugurate 160-kilometre long road stretch from Tamu (on
Manipur border) to Kalewa (close to Mandalay). This road is a part of
the ambitious Asian Highway project.
New Delhi in the recent past has adopted a pragmatic approach towards
Myanmar's military junta. At the heart of this policy is its desire to
develop the northeastern states and curb insurgency along its eastern
borders. New Delhi has already indicated to Yangon that as long as its
security concerns are addressed it has no problems in Myanmar warming up
to Pakistan.
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<b><font size=+2>Pak set to woo Myanmar with weapons, soft loans</font></b>
<p>The Hindustan Times (New Delhi)
<br>December 18, 2000
<p><b>Shishir Gupta</b>
<p>WARY OF warmth in ties between India and Myanmar, Pakistan's Chief Executive
General Pervez Musharraf is all set to woo Yangon with weapons and soft
loans.
<p>Highly-placed Government sources indicate that General will arrive in
Myanmar on January 4 on a two-day official visit. Javed Hassan, who is
in-charge of weapons and equipment in the Pakistan government, will accompany
the General. New Delhi will be watching the visit keenly as External Affairs
Minister Jaswant Singh is also scheduled to visit Myanmar in late January.
<p>Yangon watchers believe that Pakistan wants to run a reality check on
its relations with Myanmar following latter's growing multi-faceted bi-lateral
engagement with India. General Maung Aye, vice-chairman of Myanmar's State
Peace and Development Council, visited New Delhi in November and requested
for assistance in the infrastructure development. Gen Aye also sought assistance
in development of deep sea ports and offered to sell natural gas.
<p>It is understood that during his visit, Gen Musharaf will offer small
arms such as assault rifles and mortars to Myanmar. He is also expected
to offer soft developmental loans and assistance in human resource development.
<p>Since 1989, Pakistan has tried to work of closer ties with Myanmar.
After an initial low-key phase, by 1995, Pakistan had established intelligence
links with Yangon and had trained Myanmar's Air Force and Army personnel.
Under the on-going defence cooperation between the two, Pakistan had supplied
2.5 million dollars worth arms and ammunition, in two consignments, in
March-April last year.
<p>Given the fact that both the countries have a lot of Chinese equipment,
the ties on this front are expected to get a boost with the General's visit,
defence analysts believe. The Indian perception of a political interaction
between Yangon and Islamabad is that Pakistani interest is oriented towards
keeping insurgency alive in the North-East.
<p>However, India is not unduly bothered about Musharraf's visit as it
has already offered co-operation to Myanmar on all fronts, including defence.
<p>Analysts feel that Jaswant Singh's trip will go a long way in "correcting
Yangon's tilt" towards Islamabad. During his visit, Singh is expected to
inaugurate 160-kilometre long road stretch from Tamu (on Manipur border)
to Kalewa (close to Mandalay). This road is a part of the ambitious Asian
Highway project.
<p>New Delhi in the recent past has adopted a pragmatic approach towards
Myanmar's military junta. At the heart of this policy is its desire to
develop the northeastern states and curb insurgency along its eastern borders.
New Delhi has already indicated to Yangon that as long as its security
concerns are addressed it has no problems in Myanmar warming up to Pakistan.
<br>
<p> </html>
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