India to push on with Myanmar port despite unrest
By Simon Denyer Wed Oct 10, 5:47 AM ET NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is pushing ahead with plans to help Myanmar develop a port on its northwestern coast that it hopes will become the centre of a gas bonanza, but which was also a focal point of pro-democracy protests. ADVERTISEMENT The city of Sittwe, on an island near the mouth of the Kaladan river, will become the onshore hub of Myanmar's gas industry once vast reserves in the Shwe fields in the Bay of Bengal are developed, reserves which India hopes to tap. But it was also the scene of major pro-democracy demonstrations last month which were suppressed by soldiers. India said that was not its concern. "What is happening would be a problem for the regime. Let's see how it impacts on other projects," one official, who declined to be named, told Reuters. "But so far we would like to think that things are on track in terms of bilateral commitments." The Business Standard newspaper reported on Wednesday that India would sign a formal agreement with Myanmar on the Kaladan port in a few weeks time, after pledging $103 million. The official played down this report, saying the project would involve more than one agreement and that no date was yet fixed to sign anything. "But it certainly is something which both sides would like to go ahead with, and a lot has been worked out," he added. India hopes that the port at Sittwe will also open India's landlocked, underdeveloped and troubled northeastern states to international trade through the Bay of Bengal. New Delhi initially supported Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy but changed its strategy in the early 1990s to court the military regime in what is seen as an effort to counter rival China. Sharing a 1,645-km (1,000-mile) border with Myanmar, it has made only a muted call for political reform there despite the violent response to the demonstrations. It is also building roads and railways there, has supplied arms and competes with Beijing for Myanmar's oil and gas. Its oil minister visited Myanmar last month even as pro-democracy protests were reaching a crescendo to talk about energy cooperation and witness the signing of a deep-water exploration deal. But New Delhi was disappointed in March when Myanmar agreed to sell gas from two offshore fields to China, even though Indian firms have a 30 percent stake in those fields. India is also seeking Myanmar's help in combating insurgent groups with bases inside its neighbor. But critics say it has little to show for closer relations with the junta and needs to support global efforts to promote change in Myanmar, both as a matter of principle and to promote longer-term stability and prosperity in the region. <http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071010/wl_nm/india_myanmar_port_dc;_ylt=Ak\ cpJHUUnRFCQTP6FfDhhHBvaA8F <http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071010/wl_nm/india_myanmar_port_dc;_ylt=Ak\ cpJHUUnRFCQTP6FfDhhHBvaA8F> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
