Why Myanmar Military Moving away from China – Burning Issues – Free PDF

• The course here is a great strategy to get an edge over others.

Military Distancing Itself from China

• Myanmar’s armed forces still purchase arms and hardware from China.
• Military has started to diversify its import sources.
• Today, Myanmar buys arms and ammunition from Russia, India, Israel, Ukraine and several other countries.

Defence Cooperation with Others

• During his visit to Russia in June, the Senior General noted that that defense cooperation between Moscow and Naypyidaw had acquired momentum.
• During his visit to India, he finalized the deal for the acquisition of the first ever submarine for the Myanmar Navy.
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Cuase

• Several ethnic insurgent groups in Myanmar have allegedly received weapons from China.
•  These include the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Arakan Army (AA).

•  Over the last decade, the UWSA has reportedly sold a variety of munitions to allies of the so-called Northern Alliance comprised of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Arakan Army (AA) and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

Cause

• In August last year, Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing showed the Chinese officials photographs of Chinese-made weapons.
• A joint task force comprising Thai military and police seize a large cache of Chinese-made weapons, which are believed to have been destined for western Myanmar, on June 23 in Mae Sot, Thailand.

• Intelligence sources revealed that the seized weapons were destined for Rakhine State, where the Arakan Army (AA) and Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) ordered the weapons through their connections with the DKBA. In Myanmar, both the AA and ARSA are designated as terrorist organizations.
• According to military insiders and observers, the sustained heavy frontline fighting against the terrorist organisations is taking a toll at military headquarters in Naypyitaw, with rational planning sometimes giving way to more emotional responses.
• The senior general has apparently declined a Chinese request to conduct joint naval exercises and an offer of a submarine from China.

Window of Opportunity for India

•  India went for Celebrating Victory Day Parade (75 Years of WW 2).
• In Russia last week, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing held talks with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed ways of promoting ties between their countries’ armed forces, as well as border security and counterinsurgency operations along the border.

• In May, the Myanmar government handed 22 ethnic Assam and Meitei rebels over to the Indian government. The rebels belonged to groups fighting New Delhi from bases along the border in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region.
• Importantly, this strengthening of relations with India comes against the backdrop of a recent violent confrontation between the two Asian giants in the Himalayan region of Ladakh—a new geopolitical flashpoint in South Asia.

Good News if India capitalises on this

• The situation is also ripe for India to step up ties with Naypidaw, to counter China.

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