The recent transition to civilian rule by the military junta in Myanmar offers new opportunities to explore the end of their internal insurgencies and promote development of this pivotal country in South Asia. India should now try to complete the long-pending Kaladan Multi-modal Project at the earliest and open up to Myanmar new possibilities of trade by land and sea routes.

The development of Sittwe port must receive priority. India should expand her soft power footprint in Myanmar, developing their education system by supporting both the expansion of school education and supporting tertiary education, backstopping private players in education and edtech to foray into the country.Teacher training courses in English offered to Myanmar should be increased and private universities as well as EDCIL encouraged to partner Myanmar universities by sending tertiary subject teacher training teams to support university level teaching in English of subjects like STEAM, IT and Medicine.

Like education, healthcare training support is a critical area of cooperation with Myanmar. Training of medical and diagnostic technicians, nursing and para-medical staff can be the precursor to setting up diagnostic centres and primary health polyclinics, mobile clinics and other basic medical infrastructure across the nation.

India could also consider supporting creation of a pan-Myanmar telecommunications network like the one  set up for the AU in Africa, which would support the development of IT professional and development of ITES in Myanmar.

India can also train Myanmar civil servants in public administration and provide police training and civil defence courses as well. India can send trainers in skill development for a range of industries and professions and help locals set up MSME with support from NSIC and SIDO.

Empowering Women

In trade and local value addition, the sky may not be the limit. India shares long land borders and significant sea borders with Myanmar, making coastal freight and passenger services a possibility between the two countries and beyond. The Blue Economy partnership with ASEAN begins with Myanmar and setting up industries for processing ocean resources can increase nutrition availability and trade. Mining, forestry, forest resources, food processing, agricultural development, oil, gas, petrochemicals, jewellery, banking and finance, training and skill development, inland waterways, disaster preparedness etc can all be useful and profitable areas of cooperation.

Greater airfreight and passenger links can push tourism and trade with various provinces of Myanmar and utilise our civilisational and faith linkages to enhance awareness, understanding and friendship between our peoples and societies.

Special attention may be paid to empowering the women of Myanmar through healthcare, nutrition and education. Women need a greater role and voice in every sector of society and economy and they can be supported by their counterparts in India and elsewhere in BIMSTEC and SAARC.

Need to Restore Order

Cooperation in intelligence-sharing, anti-terrorism and anti-insurgency activities are ongoing activities with Myanmar that can ensure greater safety, security and peace if broadened and carried upward to a higher and more intense level. Military cooperation too has greater potential in training and international peacekeeping. The completion of the proposed India-Myanmar border fence will enable greater security and promote interaction through permitted border crossing points and  create vibrant border markets while reducing smuggling and human trafficking.

Myanmar links India with ASEAN and BIMSTEC. The Asian Highway is to run to Thailand through Myanmar and much can be done to enhance linkages and cooperation with these organisations through stronger links with Myanmar. Proximity and first mover advantage should not be lost.

However, a great deal depends upon Myanmar’s capability to reduce its ongoing civil disorder and insurgencies as well as keeping her borderlands safe for civilian interaction among the peoples of both nations. The Rohingya issue also needs to be resolved in the medium term. Democratically elected local bodies from the village-level upwards can be made partners in peace and economic development and become responsible for creating in their areas the peaceful and orderly environment needed for rapid development and social, educational and economic progress.

Myanmar, at peace and developing to its full potential as one of the larger nations of the world, can become the lynchpin connection for BIMSTEC, SAARC and ASEAN as well as one of India’s most important partners in progress of this century.

(The writer is a former Indian ambassador. Views expressed are personal.  He can be reached at sarva.chakravarti@yahoo.co.uk)