A delegation from VIF led by Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director and comprising of Lt Gen (Retd) Ravi Sawhney, Amb (Retd) Gautam Mukhopadhaya, Dr Sreeradha Datta and Col Jaideep Chanda visited Myanmar from 9 – 12 December 2019.
This paper attempts to analyse the trend of certain Western countries and the United Nations (UN) to impose or recommend imposition of sanctions on other countries, using Myanmar as a case study. Presently, certain bans have already been imposed or recommended to be imposed by Israel, United States and the UN on officials of Myanmar in the aftermath of the Rohingya Crisis. But this paper is not about Rohingyas and human rights violations. As such, the paper neither concurs nor dispels the allegations made against the Myanmar Government.
This book edited by Mandy Sadan, Reader of History of South East Asia at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, focuses on the ‘inter-war period’ (to borrow a terminology associated with conventional war), in that it studies the period of ceasefire between the Tatmadaw i.e. the Myanmar Army, and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), from 1994 to 2011.
A four member delegation from top think tanks of Myanmar discussed various issues under bilateral as well as regional ambit. Bilateral discussions ranged from social, economic and security issues, India’s ‘neighbours first’ policy, connectivity and development and Myanmar’s expectations of India’s support in greater developments in Myanmar and the Indo-Myanmar border regions. Ways for India to fulfil a greater role in regional development was also suggested.
The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised an interaction with a Myanmar delegation led by Gen. U Aung Min and comprising of five other members of Peace Development Foundation of Myanmar. Gen. U Aung Min, formerly a Minister and Chief Negotiator with Myanmar's Ethnic Armed Organisations, and his colleagues had very ably guided the Myanmar Peace Process till the current government came to power. The delegation members interacted with the VIF faculty on India-Myanmar relations and the way forward.
A ten-member multi-party delegation of Myanmar’s parliamentarians, led by Mr. Oo Hla Sae (Member of Parliament, Arakan National party), called on the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) faculty on 20 February 2017. The ensuing interaction focused on India’s federal system of governance, with members of the delegation evincing their interest in gauging out how the system works so well for India despite her geographical vastness and multiple diversity.
A VIF delegation led by Director, Gen NC Vij and comprising of Lt. Gen. Ravi Sawhney, Amb Ashok Kantha and Brig Vinod Anand visited Myanmar from 23 to 25 October 2016. Mr. NMP Jayesh ex-Singapore, an expert on trade and commerce represented the CII. The delegation interacted with Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS), leaders of National League for Democracy, Deputy Commandant and faculty of National Defence College and high level officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Naypidaw.
Myanmar military’s ethos can be traced back to the country’s national struggle for freedom with its founding fathers being of socialist persuasion rather than professional soldiers (Burma Independence Army; founded by a group of nationalists known as Thirty Comrades). Click here to read full Paper
On Monday, Sep 19, 2011, the VIF brought together high-level diplomats, academics, journalists and security experts for a seminar on ‘Myanmar in Transition: Asian perspective’.