Mizzima
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has called for Myanmar to become an ‘inclusive federal democracy’ through dialogue and constructive engagement amongst key stakeholders.
The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said:“ We call upon all sides (to restore peace)… We want peace and stability in the country; we want constructive dialogue in the country, and we want inclusive federal democracy to be established through dialogue and through constructive engagement.”
The comments were made at a 15 March press conference where the MEA spokesperson also said that India is worried about the current situation in Rakhine State, saying: “The situation in Myanmar remains a cause of concern because of the deterioration in the security situation. There is a lot of fighting happening there, and the security situation is not conducive [to peace].”
He described the situation in Rakhine as delicate and unsafe for Indian nationals who have been warned by the MEA since February 2024 not to travel to Rakhine State.
He said: “We have issued an advisory for Rakhine State where the situation is very delicate. The security situation has deteriorated. We told all Indian nationals to evacuate and move away from there.”
The advisory notice for Indian travellers to Rakhine also warned that in Rakhine State telecommunications are often disrupted, there are severe shortages of some foodstuffs and security is deteriorating.
The Arakan Army and the junta started fighting in Rakhine State in October 2024 after the breakdown of a ceasefire. Since then, the AA has taken control of many towns and junta army posts in Rakhine State. This has led to many people fleeing from the fighting seeking shelter in India and Bangladesh.
Currently, India maintains normal diplomatic relations with the Myanmar junta. Tom Andrews, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said that India was one of the few countries that has continued supplying weapons and ammunition to Myanmar even after the military coup.
