Bharat Rakshak

ravi_ku wrote: That single ship?? forgetting all the ships from Maoland?

Jamal K. Malik wrote:More sanctions possible against Myanmar

sanjaychoudhry wrote:

Jamal K. Malik wrote:More sanctions possible against Myanmar

This story is a Gora plant.

Goras are not anti democratic and we are democratic too!!!!!!

Gerard wrote:North Korean ship now going the other way

It was suspected the Kang Nam was going to Myanmar. But the U.S. official says that after a week-and-a half at sea, it turned around on Sunday or Monday. It was off the coast of Vietnam on Tuesday.

sanjaychoudhry wrote:

Goras are not anti democratic and we are democratic too!!!!!!

You have no idea why they are after Burma. (Hint: India's north east.)

yeah, they are not anti-democratic, that is why Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are their special allies. Their love of democracy and secularism stops at their national borders. Outside those borders, they support dictators and expansion of the church depending on how it furthers their interests.

Gerard wrote:Burma suspected of forming nuclear link with North Korea

YANGON, Myanmar — Days after the world slammed Myanmar for sentencing Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to more house arrest, U.S. Senator Jim Webb arrived in the military-ruled country's capital Friday.

The visit — the first in more than a decade by a senior U.S. official — has drawn criticism from activists who say it confers legitimacy on a brutal regime, but the Obama administration gave the Virginia Democrat its blessing.

Possibly reflecting a similar wariness, a spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy said the party "has no interest in Jim Webb because he is not known to have any interest in Myanmar affairs." He did not elaborate. Nevertheless, Webb is slated to meet several politicians from the NLD on Saturday.

Official media, however, appeared to herald Webb's arrival. The nightly broadcast led with the visit, reporting that the senator met with Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein on Friday, and returned to the subject several times during the night.

like Suu Kyii, except for the fact that she's quite silent on the Evanjehadi problem.
I think she should speak out on this, to cover this gap in her credibility.

Tension between Myanmar government troops and an armed ethnic group has sparked an exodus of thousands of people into China from northeastern Myanmar, activists and witnesses said on Wednesday

The Washington-based U.S. Campaign for Burma said tensions first flared on August 8 when the Myanmar army deployed hundreds of troops in Kokang, a mostly ethnic Chinese region where rebels have observed a two-decade-old ceasefire with the government.

In anticipation of any hostilities that might break out between Kokang and the Burma Army, China’s People’s Liberation Army has moved more than 700 troops to the Sino-Burma border, according to a ceasefire source last evening.

On the opposite side of the border are some 2,000 Burma Army troops who are taking positions to grab any opportunity that might be offered by the warring factions in the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), as the Kokang Army prefers to be known.

China may be backing Naypyitaw when it comes to democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and the over 2,000 political prisoners, but it has taken a tough stance twice in a week when the Burma Army tried to force its will upon one of former communist armies, according to sources on the Sino-Burma border.

On 8 August, it had successfully convinced the Burma Army force that had entered the Kokang territory “without our permission” to carry out inspection on a location suspected to have an arms factory. “Due to China’s intercession, the Burma Army had pulled out,” said a local source.

sanjaychoudhry wrote:

like Suu Kyii, except for the fact that she's quite silent on the Evanjehadi problem.
I think she should speak out on this, to cover this gap in her credibility.

Do you know why Goras are rooting for her? She is a Western mole. She has subverted her Burmese nationality and reigious and cultural legacy by marrying a White Christian Britisher, Dr. Michael Aris. (He is dead now.) She has two children, both White Christians, who live in London. Deliberately, her British husband and Whtie christian children are never mentioned by the AngloSaxons. It is very difficult to find information about her children living in the UK. This is kept under wraps lest the game is given away and Burmese people start having doubts. One of her sons is named Malcolm, I think. She has also developed a habit of quoting from the Bible on and off.

She has no credibility to begin with. She is a stupid progeny of a great father who has allowed herself to be used by a hostile vicious race to gain entry into her country. At no cost should Burmese people allow her anywhere near political power. She will hand over reigns of the country to Goras. The moment she married a White, she became eligible for Western awards such as Nobel.

Brando wrote: Utter and complete xenophobic nonsense! This is the view of insecure zealots with paranoid bigots. It astonishing the level of bigotry against both Whites and Christianity in the quoted text. It has all the hallmarks of a jehadist ravings against the West. It almost astounding that a so called "free citizen" from a "peaceful culture" would support the continued rule of the brutal and barbaric military junta in Burma over that of a democratic and free society!

Burma or Myanmar as the military generals would like to call it is run by a junta led by corrupt generals have usurped power from the rightfully elected democratic rulers through force and coercion, that has enslaved its own people and runs massive slave labor camps for all its "political prisoners", that keep their pockets lined with money made from the production of obscene amounts of heroin, opium and other narcotics, that send their children to expensive foreign schools and lead lavish lifestyles while their people face shortages of food and medicines. What ever your opinion on Ann Sung Suu-Kyi, the junta is NOT a government anybody would want to rule over them!

The continued existence of the Myanmarese junta is a mockery of human civilization itself. The geo-political sparring of India and China has given these rogue regimes fertile ground to play both sides and milk them for all its worth to consolidate their position. Sooner or later, India and the world will have to do something about the junta, arming them today will only make it harder to get rid of them tomorrow.

g.kacha wrote: ... Pot meet kettle !!!
So the great liberal democracies (US, UK et.al.) only support democratic free lovin people now .. do they? Wonder when did Saudi Arabia become such a freedom loving democracy that US presidents either go dancing there (Bush) or kissing the tyrants (Obama) ...
See it is this kind of sanctimonious BS from the "liberal" and "enlightened" west that pisses people here off ... So please get off your high horse and spare us the democracy and human civilization BS ...

Brando wrote:

g.kacha wrote: ... Pot meet kettle !!!
So the great liberal democracies (US, UK et.al.) only support democratic free lovin people now .. do they? Wonder when did Saudi Arabia become such a freedom loving democracy that US presidents either go dancing there (Bush) or kissing the tyrants (Obama) ...
See it is this kind of sanctimonious BS from the "liberal" and "enlightened" west that pisses people here off ... So please get off your high horse and spare us the democracy and human civilization BS ...

Please spare me your miserably myopic understanding of world affairs!

Have you ever been to the Saudi Arabia ?? You dont know the first thing about Saudi Arabia! Saudis live much much more comfortable lives than probably any other nation in the Middle East or South Asia. The sheer amount of wealth and opulence of Saudi Arabia will put even the most capitalistic western city to shame.

America supports the Saudi King not because it is fond of their medieval culture or customs but because it is the best alternative available without causing world wide chaos in the event of the collapse of one of the worlds largest oil producers! It is better to support a liberal King in Saudi Arabia than have the conservative and fanatical Wahhabists in control of one of the world's largest oil producing countries in the world !

International relations are quite often the choice is between the bad and the worse. The Al Saud family may not be the ideal solution but it could be much much worse. These are the considerations America takes into account because it is forced to! Also due to close relations with the US, Saudi Arabia is actually much more lax than the Taliban style persecution the Wahhabists would have liked to enforce. However, in the case of Myanmar the choice is between a brutal military junta and a democratic process, the choice should be obvious to make.

Brando wrote: It almost astounding that a so called "free citizen" from a "peaceful culture" would support the continued rule of the brutal and barbaric military junta in Burma over that of a democratic and free society!

BEIJING: Stability on the China-Myanmar border was seriously threatened as fresh violence broke out in the border Kokang region of Myanmar, which is
dominated by ethnic Chinese people. Influx of refugees continued into China despite a request from Beijing asking Yangon to stabilize the situation.

The Chinese media predicted a civil war in Myanmar while quoting a rebel leader in Kokang, Pheung Kya-shin, as saying his followers had killed 30 government soldiers. It also reported that a bomb was throwing across the border from Myanmar killing one person and injuring several others on the Chinese side. The local media quoted eye witnesses to say heavy fighting was going on across the border from China.

The flow of refugees, mostly ethnic Chinese, continued from Myanmar for the third day today although the flow may have decreased. Reports incidate that nearly 30,000 refugees have crossed into Nansan County in China’s southwest province of Yunnan in a desperate bid to escape a crackdown by the local police and military.

Two different reasons are being cited by different sources for the clashes in Kokang region, where a 20-year old truce between a local armed resistance force and the nation’s military has been breached. The local force, which is part of Kokang police, took on the military when it tried to inspect an arms factory on the suspicion that it was used as a base to store drugs.

By Martin Petty

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Fresh fighting in Myanmar's northeast Shan state erupted on Saturday after days of clashes between ethnic fighters and government troops that broke a 20-year-old ceasefire.

The exodus of as many as 30,000 people across the border into China's Yunnan province is likely to strain ties between Yangon and Beijing, whose trade provides an economic lifeline for a country crippled by Western sanctions.

WHAT HAVE MYANMAR TROOPS BEEN DEPLOYED IN SHAN STATE?

The Myanmar regime wants ethnic groups to take part in its elections next year, the first in two decades. Activists and observers say the junta is trying to forcibly recruit rebel fighters for an army-run border patrol force.

Analysts say the aim is to disarm the ethnic insurgents and neutralize their threat ahead of the polls. They say the clashes erupted because of their refusal to agree to the army's demands.

The groups do not trust the regime and feel they have nothing to gain by taking part in the electoral process.

WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE STANDOFF?

The fighting has been between the Kokang Group, also known as the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Myanmar army, backed by fighters from a local splinter group.

An alliance of ethnic groups, known as the Myanmar Peace and Democracy Front (MPDF), has called for dialogue with the junta and has issues statements to the regime, and to Beijing, urging an end to hostilities.

The alliance involves the MNDAA, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the United Wa State Party (UWSP). The groups are aware that a joint effort is necessary to counter the Myanmar army.

IS THE SITUATION LIKELY TO ESCALATE? There are concerns that if the fighting intensifies, other members of the alliance could enter the fray and provide a serious challenge to the Myanmar army, resulting in fierce fighting and heightening the risk of a refugee crisis for China.
The Wa are widely regarded as a formidable fighting force, with at least 15,000 armed members, but they are not involved, yet. The Shan State Army, which is outside of the alliance, might also seek to capitalize on the instability and strengthen its own position in the region.

Analysts say a lot is at stake for all groups involved -- China included -- and neither side will want to engage in any kind of protracted conflict. However, any wrong moves by forces on the ground could trigger an all-out war.
"There's a degree of brinkmanship that's extremely precarious and things could get out of control," said Anthony Davis, a security analyst at IHS-Jane's. "When both sides are engaged in brinkmanship, the potential for miscalculation is considerable and dangerous."

HOW HAS CHINA REACTED?

Beijing, one of Myanmar's few diplomatic backers, has called on Myanmar to maintain stability in the border region and urged more measures to protect the security and legal rights of Chinese citizens there.

It has beefed-up its security presence in the border area and is providing support for refugees, giving them instant noodles, water and temporary housing. HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THE JUNTA AND ITS ELECTIONS?

In the almost five decades it has ruled the country, Myanmar's junta has never been able to establish control in the region and wants to do so before next year's elections.

It wants to bring the groups into the political fold to neutralize their threat and give legitimacy to the polls, but its breach of the ceasefire will seriously complicate matters.

Yangon has yet to announce a date for the election, or say who can take part, and analysts say the delay is largely centered on its inability to convince -- or force -- ethnic groups to enter into the political process.

WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR CHINA AND MYANMAR?

China is building oil and gas pipelines through Myanmar that will supply Yunnan province, relieving pressure on its own oil industry to supply the remote southwestern corner of its territory.

China's overriding concern is a stable Myanmar, and the Yangon regime cannot afford to upset its powerful neighbor because of the economic and diplomatic assistance it provides through trade and through protection in the international political arena.

Floods of refugees entering China, shelling over the border and injuries to Chinese civilians are likely to anger Beijing, although not enough for a rare intervention or any move that would damage their close, but increasingly awkward, relationship.
"This is an irrational and short-sighted move by the army. Not only have they increased tensions and caused distress with the ethnic groups, they're straining ties with China," said Aung Zaw, editor of Thailand-based Irrawaddy magazine, told Reuters.

"Beijing's biggest concern is stability near the border, and it is not pleased about what's happening now."

These are the considerations America takes into account because it is forced to!

Close on the heels of two senior rebel leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) being arrested in Bangladesh, Myanmarese soldiers have reportedly surrounded a mobile camp of the outfit in the country's Sagaing Division, officials said on Thursday

"The ULFA is under tremendous pressure from all sides, first in Assam, then in Bangladesh, and now in Myanmar," the official said.

Burmese troops have surrounded a base of Naga separatists in the country's northwest and begun bombing it, Indian military officials said

India on Friday received an assurance that “Myanmar will not be a safe haven for the [anti-India] insurgents to operate from.” This was conveyed by Prime Minister Thein Sein to External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna in Nay Pyi Taw.

Mr. Krishna, who called on Gen. Thein Sein after a regional ministerial meeting, later told The Hindu over telephone that “security-related issues have assumed a special significance in India-Myanmar engagement in view of the cross-border insurgency.”

India was “worried” that the insurgents in its northeast “are getting sustenance from [elements in] Myanmar.” So, India sought “cooperation of the Myanmar government, as they have always given to us.” The objective, Mr. Krishna said, was to send out a strong political message to the insurgents.

Gen. Thein Sein held out an assurance that Myanmar would certainly keep in mind New Delhi’s concerns about insurgents and its larger concerns of anti-India terrorism as well.

Burma to buy Russian MiG planes

Russia has signed a contract to deliver 20 MiG-29 fighter planes to Burma, Russian media reports say.

North-East India as a Factor in India's Diplomatic Engagement with Myanmar: Issues and Challenges
Author: Pradip Saikia

Publication Frequency: 6 issues per year
Published in: journal Strategic Analysis, Volume 33, Issue 6 November 2009, pages 877 - 889

Abstract
In recent years India, along with China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has been following a policy of diplomatic engagement with Myanmar. India has also clarified its diplomatic stand that such a policy engagement will positively serve its national interests. Thus, its present policy is guided to serve its own interests having relevance to its North-Eastern region, to counterbalance the increasing Chinese influence in Myanmar, to address the deteriorating security conditions, to check the growth of drug trafficking, and to take advantage of the emerging possibilities of its 'Look East Policy'.

Introduction

Indo-Myanmar Relations in the recent past have been on an upswing, with frequent exchange of visits from both sides and cooperation in various sectors. Myanmar's military regimes' refusal to initiate the democratic process is strongly condemned by the international community, particularly the West. In this context, India has been criticized for developing policy initiatives towards Myanmar in what is often considered a violation of its own democratic ethos. India, along with China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, has been following a policy of diplomatic engagement with Myanmar. India has clarified its diplomatic stand that such a policy engagement will positively serve its national interests. These interests point towards its North-Eastern region, which is one of the challenges India faces.

The North-Eastern region (comprising the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura) that shares international borders is significant in influencing India's diplomatic behaviour with its immediate neighbours. The expression 'North-East India' originated in the 1960s and 1970s, with the creation of the North-East Council in 1971 as well as the formation of new states in the region.1 Geo-strategically, the North-East is situated at the crossroads of South, South-East, and East Asia and shares much of its history and culture with South-East Asia rather than with the rest of India. There are a number of problem areas having a cross-border character that besiege the region. These range from insurgency, cross-border migration, drug trafficking, territorial disputes, and national security, to economic stagnation. The strained relations between India and her neighbours, including Myanmar, further intensify the situation. The cross-border linkages add up to the volatile situation in the region.

This article attempts to argue that the North-East plays a major role in influencing India's foreign policy behaviour with Myanmar and stresses the fact that India's present policy of engagement with Myanmar is guided to serve its own interests, with specific relevance to the North-Eastern region. It first discusses the relations between India and Myanmar in the historical context and India's support of the pro-democracy movement and the impact of this policy on the North-Eastern region. It then analyses the factors that have resulted in the change in India's policy towards Myanmar and the role of the North-Eastern region.

India will invest 16.66 billion rupees (about US$357 million) to develop highways in Tripura and Mizoram to improve connectivity of the landlocked northeastern states with Bangladesh and Myanmar, an official said here on December 20.
”The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) gave clearance to widen the National Highway 44 [from Shillong] up to Tripura’s southern most border town of Sabroom to four lanes,” a senior government official told Indo-Asian News Service.
The distance between Sabroom and Chittagong international port in southeast Bangladesh is just 75 kilometres.

The official said: “The high powered committee [HPC] of the union government, set up to finalise the projects in the northeast, has also sanctioned a new highway from Mizoram to the Myanmar border.”

The new 100km highway, from Lawngtalai in eastern Mizoram to Myanmar border at an estimated cost of Rs6.5 billion ($140 million), would provide linkage to the under-construction Sittwe port in Myanmar.

India is developing the Sittwe port in Myanmar at a cost of Rs.5.4 billion and the port on the Kaladan river would be a gateway for the northeastern states to the rest of the world. The Kaladan river connects Mizoram to the Bay of Bengal.
“After the completion of the project in 2012, Mizoram would be a gateway for international trade. Sittwe will provide an alternate route between the landlocked northeast region and the world. Goods from northeast can reach southern India through the Bay of Bengal via Sittwe,” the official told IANS.

Myanmar’s determined bid to acquire nuclear capability is not India-centric. It does not perceive any threat from India, which is apparent from the deployment pattern of its military. Further, it has no fixed defences along the 1463 km long Indo-Myanmar border, which is largely undisputed. In fact, Myanmar clearly desisted from denouncing the Indian nuclear tests in May 1998. Myanmar is pursuing the nuclear course for the very survivability of its military regime. In that, it is probably guided by the North Korean example. The military regime in Myanmar has also been circumspect about turning into a vassal state of China. However, the regime’s survival compulsions have outweighed other considerations, which China has been ruthlessly exploiting.

The military dispensation in Myanmar, very much like the regime in North Korea, is paranoid about being dislodged by an intervention, military or otherwise, of the US and its allies. The nuclear weapons capability, the Myanmar regime contends, will strategically insulate it against any such design. For China, a nuclear-armed Myanmar will further bolster its strategic encirclement of India, the major challenge to its regional supremacy. In the global context, proxy nuclear-states serve as robust strategic pawns in the prevailing uni-polar international order.

Myanmar’s nuclear power status will have serious ramifications for the ASEAN. Besides driving a wedge in the grouping, it will act as a counterpoise to the ASEAN countries considered close to the US. It may be mentioned that all members of the ASEAN signed the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), which came into force in 1997.

The most disturbing part of Myanmar’s nuclear programme is the China-North Korea-Myanmar-Pakistan-Iran axis. Some analysts reckon that it is the part of Myanmar’s nuclear programme that is not entirely of its own volition, but is a strategic manoeuvre by China and its proxies. They maintain that the large number of tunnels being dug in Myanmar is to conceal nuclear material of these countries from the international scanner. Myanmar, being an isolated and closed country, is ideal for the purpose. In other words, Myanmar may be turning into a nuclear hub for all nuclear pariah states under the leadership of China.