BD-Burma Relations

[M_Saint]

From the point of bigger view, Bangladesh should keep a better relationship with Burma, irrespective of difference in political systems and existing disputes.

1) It is not wise for BD to have two enemies from the two immediate neighbors. Indian politicians’ imperialistic mentality always believes they are kind of Brits’ inheritors, thus want to keep whatever British Imperialists said/did (for instance, McMahon line with China). They think they are superior to Bangladeshis and are antagonized if BD doesn’t show homage to their “liberators” as they define it per 1971 war. Burma doesn’t have similar mentality against BD.

2) Having a road connection to China is a big deal for the people and economy of BD. If it were not stopped by Indian imperialistic mentality in the middle, a road through the “chicken neck” to Nepal to China would be really nice, but your big “liberator” says no to you. So you have to use Burma. Deepening of disputes won’t help on this.

3) As the economy of China, Burma and BD can be further integrated, people will have more exchanges in ideas and information of each other, and other disputes/pains can be lowered in priority or even mitigated. China-US relationship is a good example.

Just MHO.

Very good points, indeed. Hope patriotic forces of BD materialize your well thought-out suggestions.

 

[eastwatch]

From the point of bigger view, Bangladesh should keep a better relationship with Burma, irrespective of difference in political systems and existing disputes.

1) It is not wise for BD to have two enemies from the two immediate neighbors. Indian politicians’ imperialistic mentality always believes they are kind of Brits’ inheritors, thus want to keep whatever British Imperialists said/did (for instance, McMahon line with China). They think they are superior to Bangladeshis and are antagonized if BD doesn’t show homage to their “liberators” as they define it per 1971 war. Burma doesn’t have similar mentality against BD.

2) Having a road connection to China is a big deal for the people and economy of BD. If it were not stopped by Indian imperialistic mentality in the middle, a road through the “chicken neck” to Nepal to China would be really nice, but your big “liberator” says no to you. So you have to use Burma. Deepening of disputes won’t help on this.

3) As the economy of China, Burma and BD can be further integrated, people will have more exchanges in ideas and information of each other, and other disputes/pains can be lowered in priority or even mitigated. China-US relationship is a good example.
Just MHO.

Yes, what you have said are all true. We need good relationship and a road connection with Burma. But, they are not that eager to be friendly with us. See the report below:
==========================================
South Asian Media Net

Dhaka-Yangon road project in limbo
Sunday, August 30,2009

DHAKA: The project for construction of a friendship road between Bangladesh and Myanmar, undertaken in 2004 in line with the country’s ‘look east policy’ is in a state of limbo because of non-cooperation from the Yangon government.
‘We could not make any significant progress with regard to the project for the cross-border road as there is no response from the Myanmar side,’ communications minister Syed Abul Hossain told New Age.
He said it was impossible for Dhaka to go ahead with the project if Yangon showed little interest though Bangladesh had agreed to bear about one third of the construction cost of its first phase.
When contacted, Myanmar embassy in Dhaka refused to comment on the cross-border highway project.
Former prime minister Khaleda Zia proposed to build the highway during her visit to Myanmar in 2003 to expedite the ‘look east policy’ to be connected with Myanmar, Thailand, China and other East Asian countries.
In the next year, head of the Myanmar government visited Bangladesh and laid the foundation of the 153-kilometre road in Teknaf, the southernmost tip of the country.
The road project is divided into two phases. In the first phase construction of 43 km road stretch – 20 km inside Bangladesh and 23 km into Myanmar linking Guandhum in Cox’s Bazar with Baulibazar in Myanmar – has been proposed.
Dhaka agreed to bear the construction cost of the phase – estimated at Tk 274 crore. In July 2007, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement in Dhaka on construction of the first phase of the friendship road after four years of negotiation.
The constriction cost of the proposed 110-km road stretch in its second phase between Taungbro and Kyauktaw in Myanmar has been estimated at around Tk 700 crore.
Experts here described Myanmar’s apparent lack of interest in the project as disappointing. They pointed out that construction of the proposed highway was important from Dhaka’s point of view because it envisaged Dhaka-Yangon as a main route of the proposed Asian Highway Network.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific, which is implementing the AHN, proposed three routes for Bangladesh. Two are main routes connecting India and Bangladesh and a third one connecting India, Bangladesh and Myanmar – described as regional route.
The BNP-led government did not sign the AHN deal within the December 2005 deadline. It lobbied for turning the third route into the main route as, it thought, the change would bolster the country’s ‘look east policy’.
It viewed that recognition of the routes proposed by the UNESCAP would allow India to use Bangladesh as a transport ‘corridor’.
The present government, however, took initiatives to ratify the treaty accepting the routes proposed by UNESCAP.

 

[ANDUBYLL]

Some salient points that Bangladeshis need to consider:

Myanmar has good relations with India, more so from 1993 onwards after India restablished trade relations. Today, India is Myanmars largest export market.

Secondly, India and Myanmar have already build a road from Indias north east linking to Mandalay(Myanmars second largest city) called the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road.

Thirdly , India and Myanmar are part of the Ganga-Mekong Cooperation group that exists to extend commercial and cultural ties between South Asia and South East Asia.

Chinese are seen as merely opportunists in South and South East Asia. Countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos regard themselves as Indic centric nations where they draw their cultural strengths from India.

India therefore is in a much stronger position to draw on its cultural strengths than the Chinese. Myanmar , especially with its huge gas potential is very much in India's sphere of influence.

Bangladesh will never be able to use Myanmar to get into China. That area is very much part of India's domain !

 

[leonblack08]

Some salient points that Bangladeshis need to consider:

Myanmar has good relations with India, more so from 1993 onwards after India restablished trade relations. Today, India is Myanmars largest export market.

Secondly, India and Myanmar have already build a road from Indias north east linking to Mandalay(Myanmars second largest city) called the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road.

Thirdly , India and Myanmar are part of the Ganga-Mekong Cooperation group that exists to extend commercial and cultural ties between South Asia and South East Asia.

Chinese are seen as merely opportunists in South and South East Asia. Countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos regard themselves as Indic centric nations where they draw their cultural strengths from India.

India therefore is in a much stronger position to draw on its cultural strengths than the Chinese. Myanmar , especially with its huge gas potential is very much in India's sphere of influence.

Bangladesh will never be able to use Myanmar to get into China. That area is very much part of India's domain !

Myanmar will not give gas to India.Because China is in better terms with Burma than India.As far as I know Burmese refused India for gas.

Bangladesh can enter China through Burma,only if Burmese allow.But they don't look interested according to the article above.

You missed the point that India has supplied large amount of arms and tanks to Myanmar.


And that is why we need to wake up and review our relation with Burma.

 

[leonblack08]

BDR on high alert as Mayanmar restarts border fencing

Chittagong Bureau



The border force of Myanmar - Nasaka - is learnt to have restarted barbed-wire fencing of border along Tumru and Naikhangchari in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) without any discussion with its counterpart Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).

Similar moves by Nasaka were stalled twice in March and August this year following strong protests from Bangladesh Rifles - here in Tekhnaf and Bandarban.

The Myanmar government first initiated fencing of its border along Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in early November last year when a frigate of Myanmar Navy entered the water territory of Bangladesh and was chased by Bangladesh Navy.

Sources quoting the residents in the border areas said that Nasaka has already mobilized heavily armed troops in the areas and installed hundreds of concrete pillars for fencing. Engineering crops of Myanmar military is reportedly supervising the initiative.

The Myanmar military has already brought nearly 100 kilometers of the 288 kilometers borderline of the two neighboring countries under barbed wire fencing. Nasaka might complete fencing of the total border under its current spell of the move planned long before, it is speculated.

Acting Commander of the 17-Rifles Battalion in the region Major Sajjad told reporters that every single action of Nasaka has been under the keen watch of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).

He also claimed that BDR officials in Dhaka have been kept informed of the events and the developments taking place in the remote hills from time to time.

"The battalion is also kept on high alert for interventions if asked to do so from the top," he told the reporters.

Troop mobilization at the remote border belt by the Myanmar government and all out preparation by the rifles men to tackle probable untoward incident spread panic among the border residents.

Some of the families have moved away from the areas close to the border.

Naikhongchari correspondent of a local Bengali daily here in the port city claimed to have interviewed a member of the Crops.

The Nasaka man interviewed reported to have admitted that the Myanmar government has ordered the barbed fencing at Ghumdhum to Tumru border in Naikhongchari of Chittagong Hill Tracts mainly to stop smuggling and trespassing of the Rohingas into Bangladesh.

"We know nothing about the international law and it's violation by the ongoing border fencing bid. We're carrying out the order from the top," the Nasaka man reportedly told in the interview.

Commander of Naikhongchari Upazila Unit of Muktijoddah Sangshad and Headmaster of Ghumdhum High School Khairul Bashar told reporters that Mymanmar military have set up several camps and built trenches along the borderline and electricity connections were also given at the camps.

"Physical and logistic arrangements of the Myanmar military especially in the borders are indications of their preparations for longer stay and implementation of the fencing project," Khairul Bashar observed.


The New Nation - Internet Edition

 

[rajeev]

From the point of bigger view, Bangladesh should keep a better relationship with Burma, irrespective of difference in political systems and existing disputes.

1) It is not wise for BD to have two enemies from the two immediate neighbors. Indian politicians’ imperialistic mentality always believes they are kind of Brits’ inheritors, thus want to keep whatever British Imperialists said/did (for instance, McMahon line with China). They think they are superior to Bangladeshis and are antagonized if BD doesn’t show homage to their “liberators” as they define it per 1971 war. Burma doesn’t have similar mentality against BD.

Indians are not imperialists. If we were, there would have no Bangladesh. We didn't take an inch of land from you even though, it was my country's army that fought for your independence.

No one other than a Pakistani would say that there no atrocities in Bangladesh in 71. It is very well documented.

I have no idea why you think we are superior to you. We are mere human beings.

You are calling us imperialists based on war with China, not with Bangladesh. There are outstanding issues with China, but ignoring the other side of the argument would make arguments rather unreasonable.

When you are saying we feel that we are superior, you should show one act or one word by an Indian against Bangladesh in this forum or anywhere. Do you know India has lot of Bangladeshi who immigrate to India illegally? How hard will it to deport them if we had any kind of animosity towards Bangladesh?

 

[khabib]

Indians are not imperialists. If we were, there would have no Bangladesh. We didn't take an inch of land from you even though, it was my country's army that fought for your independence.

No one other than a Pakistani would say that there no atrocities in Bangladesh in 71. It is very well documented.

I have no idea why you think we are superior to you. We are mere human beings.

You are calling us imperialists based on war with China, not with Bangladesh. There are outstanding issues with China, but ignoring the other side of the argument would make arguments rather unreasonable.

When you are saying we feel that we are superior, you should show one act or one word by an Indian against Bangladesh in this forum or anywhere. Do you know India has lot of Bangladeshi who immigrate to India illegally? How hard will it to deport them if we had any kind of animosity towards Bangladesh?

Either, You are completely clueless or a completely ignoring the facts.
Just look at Talpotti, and Bangladesh india border issue. Did india implement any of the sign agreement with Bangladesh ?

Now, do not tell me that india did not occpy Sikim, Goa, Kashmir ...

 

[rajeev]

Either, You are completely clueless or a completely ignoring the facts.
Just look at Talpotti, and Bangladesh india border issue. Did india implement any of the sign agreement with Bangladesh ?

I dont know about Talpotti but I heard about border skirmishes. India believes that there are drug smugglers and illegal people moving into India. I saw a guy in Assam complaining their jobs are taken by Bangladeshi's. But whatever it is, it is a matter of talk and resolution.

How else we plan to resolve? Having war for every small issue?

Now, do not tell me that india did not occpy Sikim, Goa, Kashmir ...

India occupies Sikkim, Goa, Kashmir just like India occupies Delhi, West Bengal, Assam, South India, North India, etc.

 

[Al-zakir]

BDR deployment reinforced along Myanmar border
Tension mounts over intrusion, fencing move

Wednesday October 07 2009 01:27:21 AM BDT

Raheed Ejaz

Bangladesh has reinforced paramilitary troop deployment along the border with Myanmar in the wake of the latest surge in tension. All but essential leaves of Bangladesh Rifles personnel have been cancelled. (The New Age BD)

Tension mounted along the Naikhyangchhari border in Bandarban after Myanmar had resumed border fencing Friday. Myanmar on Saturday also reinforced army deployment on its side of the border.

The home ministry in letters sent to the director general of the Bangladesh Rifles and the inspector general of police on Tuesday asked them to keep their forces �on alert� along the border with Myanmar.

Dhaka may need to resume diplomatic efforts to stop intrusion of Myanmar citizens into the Bangladesh territory seeking shelter or employment, a home ministry official said, referring to the latest communications with the foreign ministry.

�Troop deployment in the border has been reinforced and all but essential leaves of BDR personnel have been cancelled,� Major General Mohammad Mainul Islam, director general of the Bangladesh Rifles, told New Age on Tuesday.

He said BDR troops had been deployed along sensitive areas in the border and other preparation had also been made.

The home ministry official further said intrusion of Myanmar citizens into Bangladesh was damaging Bangladesh�s overseas

labour market and reputation of Bangladeshi workers.

�Most of the illegal migrant workers, including boatmen in Cox�s Bazar, Bandarban and other places along the Bangladesh coast are Myanmar citizens,� the source said, quoting an intelligence agency report.

The report observed intrusion of Myanmar citizens, including refugees, emerged a new threat to Bangladesh�s internal security and job market.

In the context, the source said the government �should take renewed steps to increase engagement through diplomatic channels for the repatriation of Myanmar Rohingya refugees.� Myanmar needs to be persuaded to stop fresh intrusion by its citizens into Bangladesh, the source said.

The recent trouble in the relations between the two neighbouring countries had started since November 2008 as Myanmar�s naval ship intruded into Bangladesh�s territorial waters.

The standoff in the Bay of Bengal resulted from Myanmar�s intrusion into Bangladesh�s territorial waters for oil and gas exploration in 2008.

Bilateral tension also mounted when Myanmar began barbed wire fencing along the border with Bangladesh early this year.

Bangladesh resumed its negotiation with Myanmar on maritime delimitation in 2008, after about three decades. The series of discussions are yet to make any headway in resolving the issue.

As Bangladesh and Myanmar have overlapping claims on territorial waters in the Bay, Yangon has recently warned US company ConocoPhillips not to take over offshore Block 11, claiming it was located within Myanmar�s maritime boundary.

The US company is recently awarded the production sharing contracts for hydrocarbon exploration in deep sea Block 10 and 11.

ConocoPhillips now wants to discuss with the foreign ministry the latest situation of the disputed areas in the two blocks for which the company was selected.

http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=287926

 

[Spitfighter]

From the point of bigger view, Bangladesh should keep a better relationship with Burma, irrespective of difference in political systems and existing disputes.

1) It is not wise for BD to have two enemies from the two immediate neighbors. Indian politicians’ imperialistic mentality always believes they are kind of Brits’ inheritors, thus want to keep whatever British Imperialists said/did (for instance, McMahon line with China). They think they are superior to Bangladeshis and are antagonized if BD doesn’t show homage to their “liberators” as they define it per 1971 war. Burma doesn’t have similar mentality against BD.

2) Having a road connection to China is a big deal for the people and economy of BD. If it were not stopped by Indian imperialistic mentality in the middle, a road through the “chicken neck” to Nepal to China would be really nice, but your big “liberator” says no to you. So you have to use Burma. Deepening of disputes won’t help on this.

3) As the economy of China, Burma and BD can be further integrated, people will have more exchanges in ideas and information of each other, and other disputes/pains can be lowered in priority or even mitigated. China-US relationship is a good example.

Just MHO.

What makes you think that economic cooperation between Bangladesh and India won't bring our countries together? India has a HUGE market and is part of the G20, given Bangladesh's location, how foolish would it be of them to not maximize their potential for regional cooperation?

What makes you think that having India as an enemy and Burma as a friend would be beneficial to Bangladesh?

How was East Pakistan treated by the West? You think millions of people revolted for fun? Who thought who was superior? You should really think before you talk.

You should keep your 'honest opinion' to yourself. You can keep dreaming but no one will fight your battles for you, not China and certainly not Bangladesh. If India was 'imperialist' there would have been no Bangladesh or Pakistan. We've had nukes since 1975, when the Soviet Union could have fended off the Americans.

We did not start a war right after we detonated nukes (Kargil). You might want to think twice before you seek to advise others.

 

[idune]

From the point of bigger view, Bangladesh should keep a better relationship with Burma, irrespective of difference in political systems and existing disputes.

1) It is not wise for BD to have two enemies from the two immediate neighbors. Indian politicians’ imperialistic mentality always believes they are kind of Brits’ inheritors, thus want to keep whatever British Imperialists said/did (for instance, McMahon line with China). They think they are superior to Bangladeshis and are antagonized if BD doesn’t show homage to their “liberators” as they define it per 1971 war. Burma doesn’t have similar mentality against BD.

2) Having a road connection to China is a big deal for the people and economy of BD. If it were not stopped by Indian imperialistic mentality in the middle, a road through the “chicken neck” to Nepal to China would be really nice, but your big “liberator” says no to you. So you have to use Burma. Deepening of disputes won’t help on this.

3) As the economy of China, Burma and BD can be further integrated, people will have more exchanges in ideas and information of each other, and other disputes/pains can be lowered in priority or even mitigated. China-US relationship is a good example.

Just MHO.

Absolutely right on the money.

 

[idune]

What makes you think that economic cooperation between Bangladesh and India won't bring our countries together? India has a HUGE market and is part of the G20, given Bangladesh's location, how foolish would it be of them to not maximize their potential for regional cooperation?

What makes you think that having India as an enemy and Burma as a friend would be beneficial to Bangladesh?

I am sure gpit has answer but regardless no answer will satisfy indian logic and ambition of hegemony. So its ONLY better to move on without india and we care less whoever india enjoy its huge market with. We did it for last 40 years, we would do just fine in future.

Take your indian begging to "how to improve India-BD" relation thread, that's what it is for.

 

[khabib]

I dont know about Talpotti but I heard about border skirmishes. India believes that there are drug smugglers and illegal people moving into India. I saw a guy in Assam complaining their jobs are taken by Bangladeshi's. But whatever it is, it is a matter of talk and resolution.

If you are thinking shooting people and than calling them thug than what is the point of talking ?

How else we plan to resolve? Having war for every small issue?

Absolutely not. But need to solve from mutual respect.


India occupies Sikkim, Goa, Kashmir just like India occupies Delhi, West Bengal, Assam, South India, North India, etc.

A thug when they snach something always declare that snached items is there.

 

[eastwatch]

Some salient points that Bangladeshis need to consider:

Myanmar has good relations with India, more so from 1993 onwards after India restablished trade relations. Today, India is Myanmars largest export market.

Secondly, India and Myanmar have already build a road from Indias north east linking to Mandalay(Myanmars second largest city) called the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road.

Thirdly , India and Myanmar are part of the Ganga-Mekong Cooperation group that exists to extend commercial and cultural ties between South Asia and South East Asia.

Chinese are seen as merely opportunists in South and South East Asia. Countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos regard themselves as Indic centric nations where they draw their cultural strengths from India.

India therefore is in a much stronger position to draw on its cultural strengths than the Chinese. Myanmar , especially with its huge gas potential is very much in India's sphere of influence.

Bangladesh will never be able to use Myanmar to get into China. That area is very much part of India's domain !

Apart from those what you have said, India is also building a $100 million port in Sittwe for connectivity to its NE. And, as far as I know, Burma has agreed to sell gas from one of its fields. But, India cannot take the gas to its west Bengal unless BD permits transit.

A detour via NE will be too costly. A 1,500 km detour will cost India $1.5 billion to $3billion dollar. I have experince in a pipeline project in Malaysia. To traverse through mountains and marshlands, the cost exceded $3 million/km in that Petronas project. So, the Indian project may even cost $4.5 billion, who knows.

BD wants good relationship with Burma, but that country has so far failed to reciprocate our goodwill gestures. This may be because they do not have a democracy. Burma has refused to sell any gas to BD. It said that all the fields have been sold either to India or to China.

Yes, culturally the SE asia has always been influenced by India and not China. But, today's geopolitics revolve around land routes and not around sea lanes as it was in the past. Indian NE has border with Burma, but the mainland India does not have a direct land access. This is a handicap for India. Only a good relationship with BD someday will provide India the link it needs to make a lasting connectivity with SE asia.

So, I think, Indian position vis-a-vis Burma is certainly not on a strong footing as you might want to see. Moreover, India is not a factor to influence Burmese thinking over its readiness to give BD a connectivity to China.

Considering the situation now, this connectivity may be brought about in two different ways. One is Asian Highway and the other is through Indian NE. I think, whenever the GoI asks for transit we should ask for transit to China. I must admit, I just do not know if a connectivity to China is possible through the NE because of high mountains. Certainly, a ropeway will not do the trick.

 

[rajeev]

Apart from those what you have said, India is also building a $100 million port in Sittwe for connectivity to its NE. And, as far as I know, Burma has agreed to sell gas from one of its fields. But, India cannot take the gas to its west Bengal unless BD permits transit. A detour via NE will be too costly.

BD wants good relationship with Burma, but that country has so far failed to reciprocate our goodwill gestures. This may be because they do not have a democracy. Burma has refused to sell any gas to BD. It said that all the fields have been sold either to India or to China.

Yes, culturally the SE asia has always been influenced by India and not China. But, today's geopolitics revolve around land routes and not around sea lanes as it was in the past. Indian NE has border with Burma, but the mainland India does not have a direct land access. This is a handicap for India. Only a good relationship with BD someday will provide India the link it needs to make a lasting connectivity with SE asia.

So, I think, Indian position vis-a-vis Burma is certainly not on a strong footing as you might want to see. Moreover, India is not a factor to influence Burmese thinking over its readiness to give BD a connectivity to China.

This connectivity may be brought about in two different ways. One is Asian Highway and the other is through Indian NE. I think, whenever the GoI asks for transit we should ask for transit to China. I must admit, I just do not know if a connectivity to China is possible through the NE because of high mountains. Certainly, a ropeway will not do the trick.

I agree with you that Burmese junta may have bad intentions towards Bangladesh and thanks to stupid Indian involvement with non-aligned movement, China has made a good headway in regards to Burma.

But my guess is that the junta will care more about the money than we think. It is only a matter of time they go for pipeline project. Chinese, I think are not really concerned with West Bengal getting any benefit and so will not oppose it.