India wants Myanmar to act on insurgency on border

Mandalay (Myanmar), Feb.8 (ANI): India has asked Myanmar to act on the information provided by it about the activities of the insurgent groups having their bases along the India-Myanmar border.

Minister of State for Defence M. M. Pallam Raju on Saturday told reporters in Mandalay that the military junta of Myanmar had been asked to cooperate on combating insurgents.

"It is strategically important in terms of trading potential that exists with Myanmar and also our own security implications. Because lot of insurgent groups operating in the northeast have their bases on the Indo-Myanmar border and they keep coming in, causing havoc. We are getting the government (Myanmar) to cooperate on those things," said Raju who accompanied the Vice President, Hamid Ansari as a member of the delegation that concluded its four-day visit to Myanmar on Sunday.

The Minister of State for Defence informed media that New Delhi had bee giving arms and ammunitions to Myanmar to fight insurgents despite the fact that both the nations were not having any formal defence tie-ups between them.

"No defence tie-ups but we do give them lot of aid in terms of arms and ammunitions and things like that but apart from that there is no formalised Defence tie-ups," Raju added.

Indian delegates said economic ties were in focus during Ansari's talks with the Myanmar leadership.

"Basics are the economic ties. We have to strengthen in terms of economic (ties) that we share with Myanmar. I think we have to focus that and the port is also open, so it's a good thing," said Agatha K. Sangma, a member of the India delegation.

India shares a 1,645-km (1,000-mile) border with Myanmar.

India says around 3,000 rebels, live and train in the camps inside the jungles of Kabaw Valley of Myanmar's Sagaing Division.

India has a pact with Myanmar to share intelligence, but officials say it is not enough to stop the insurgency. By Ravi Shankar (ANI)