India considers supplying arms to Myanmar govt

Rohingya refugees wait at Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. Despite allegations of abuse against the Rohingyas by the Myanmar millitary, India is reportedly considering supplying arms to Myanmar’s government. (REUTERS)
  NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 21 (REUTERS): India is considering supplying arms to Myanmar’s government in a sign of strong support for a neighbour that faces criticism for its crackdown on Rohingya Muslims.   The arms were discussed during a visit by the chief of Myanmar’s navy, Indian officials said on Thursday. The two sides also talked about training Myanmar sailors on top of the courses taught to its army officers at elite Indian defence institutions.   India’s decision to discuss enhancing military cooperation with its eastern neighbour appears part of a push to counter Chinese influence in the region.   It comes at a time when Western countries are stepping up pressure on Myanmar’s government for violence against Rohingya Muslims in its northwestern Rakhine state.   Myanmar rejects the charge, saying its forces are tackling insurgents of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army who it has accused of setting fires and attacking civilians.   Britain said this week it was suspending its training programme for the Myanmar military, demanding it take steps to end the violence against civilians.   On Wednesday, the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar navy Admiral Tin Aung San met Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the chiefs of India’s army, navy and air force.   The two sides are discussing the supply of offshore patrol boats, a military official said. The Myanmar navy chief also visited the naval ship building site in Mumbai as part of the four-day trip that ends on Thursday.   “Myanmar is a pillar of our Look East policy and defence is a large part of the relationship,” said the official.   In 2013, India offered to supply equipment such as artillery guns, radars and night vision devices to Myanmar’s army. Since then, the focus has shifted to naval cooperation as India seeks to push back against Chinese influence in the region. The two sides are expected to increase coordinated patrols in the Bay of Bengal that help the two navies operate together.   “The fact that the Indian government is receiving a high level military officer at a time when the international community is criticising the military sends out a signal,” said K.Yhome who specialises on India’s neighbourhood policy at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation.   “The message is (that) India is with the Myanmar government so far as the Rohingya issue is concerned,” he said. Since the crisis erupted in Rakhine last month, New Delhi has been supportive of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, condemning insurgent attacks on security forces that prompted a military crackdown against the Rohingya.   Only later as international criticism mounted, India expressed concern at the flight of hundreds of thousands of refugees into neighbouring Bangladesh.   China has also stood by the Myanmar government. This week Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres that it supported Myanmar’s efforts to protect its national security and opposes recent violent attacks in Rakhine.  

Rohingyas are illegal immigrants, will be deported, says Indian govt

  New Delhi, September 21 (IANS): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that Rohingyas who have entered India from Myanmar should not be mistaken as refugees because they are “illegal immigrants” who need to be sent back due to national security reasons.   However, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Justice H.L. Dattu, present at the function where Rajnath Singh spoke, said the Commission would back Rohingyas because they were being persecuted in Myanmar.   “We need to understand the reality that Rohingyas from Myanmar who have entered India are not refugees. In order to get the refugee status, one needs to follow a certain process. None among them has followed that procedure,” the minister said in his address to the “National Seminar on Good Governance, Development and Human Rights” here. He said India would not be violating any international law by acting against illegal immigrants as the issue was related to India’s national security.   “No Rohingya has sought asylum in India and we cannot question their deportation by raising human rights concerns. Don’t mistake illegal immigrants with refugees. Any sovereign nation will act against illegal immigrants. The issue is also related to our national security,” he said.   Some 40,000 Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in India. Many live in Jammu and Hyderabad.   Amid a debate on whether Rohingyas should be deported or given refuge in India, the Home Ministry on Monday, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, called them a “security threat to India”. The court will hear the issue on October 3. The Home Minister told the seminar that by deporting the Rohingyas, India would not be violating any international law. “India is not even a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention”.   Rajnath Singh chided human rights activists for criticising India’s stance on Rohingyas.   “People who are beating trumpets that we are violating international law should know that there is no violation. This reality needs to be understood. “When Burma (Myanmar) is ready to take them back, why should we have objections against their deportation?”   Rajnath Singh said despite concerns, India provided humanitarian aid to Bangladesh to deal with the Rohingya crisis.   Dattu, in his remarks, maintained that the NHRC would speak in favour of Rohingyas. “We will plead the case of 40,000 Rohingyas on humanitarian ground. Cannot comment on the government policy but we are helping them because they are being persecuted in Myanmar,” Dattu said.