'If Bangladesh expects India criticise Myanmar, then they are wrong’:Indian Ex-Foreign Secy. K.Sibal

[A.A. Khan]

‘If Bangladesh expects India to criticise Myanmar, then they are wrong’

• Ranjan Basu, Delhi
• Last updated at 07:14 PM September 17, 2017

On September 8, India refused to sign a global declaration adopted at an international conclave, as it referred to the violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. These Rohingya refugees have crossed the border into Bangladesh to escape the atrocities committed against them

Kanwal Sibal

According to the United Nations, at least 409,000 Rohingya refugees have entered Bangladesh fleeing the unrest in Myanmar
Former Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal has said India should support Myanmar to fight the Rohingya crisis instead of supporting Bangladesh.

“Bangladesh will make a mistake if they expect anything from India regarding this [Rohingya issue],” he made the statement in an interview with the Bangla Tribune.

“Dhaka has to understand that Delhi cannot do a lot of things,” said the former foreign secretary who also served as the Indian high commissioner to Russia, France, Egypt and Turkey.

In an article published in The Economic Times, he said: “We should not fritter away our strategic stakes in Myanmar by joining a selective, hypocritical chorus on humanitarian issues by those who prefer to agitate only such as are low-cost for them.

“The Islamic countries who condemn Myanmar should explain why Saudi Arabia’s onslaught on the Yemenis or that of Turkey on the Kurds is overlooked by them. Why is there silence on China’s treatment of Tibetans and the Uighur Muslims? The OIC [Organisation of Islamic Cooperation] liberally condemns India on Kashmir but is inaudible over Pakistan’s promotion of terrorism in India and Afghanistan.”

He added: “The ease with which the perceived maltreatment of Muslims anywhere mobilises the community in distant geographies, even violently, explains why pan-Islamism makes the full integration of Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries difficult.”

Regarding Bangladesh’s assistance in helping India fight militancy in northeast, Kanwal said: “Those who are accusing India of not returning the help are wrong. Bangladesh has to understand that India has done the best it could do in this situation [Rohingya crisis].

“If they [Bangladesh] expect India to criticise Myanmar then they are wrong.”

He said: “Bangladesh still purchases most of its defence hardware and armaments from China. Bangladesh also supports China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ strategy which Indian strongly opposes.”

He added: “They [Bangladesh] back the move saying that their diplomatic relations with India and China are different and they are not linked to each other, but if that is the case, then India’s policy towards Myanmar and Bangladesh should be different.”

He said India has been delaying the matter of sending back the 20,000,000 plus Bangladeshis who had illegally entered the country.

Stating that 40,000 Rohingya have entered India through Bangladesh border, Kanwal also stressed on the importance of sealing off the borders of both the counties to control influx.

The diplomat said: “Astonishingly, the Rohingya by the thousands have settled down in Jammu and Kashmir where the Muslims fiercely oppose the settlement of Hindu refugees as a conspiracy to bring about demographic change.”

When asked about his hard stance on Bangladesh, he told the Bangla Tribune: “We sympathise with Bangladesh but if they think that for them the Indian government will let go of all the strategy it has with regards to Myanmar, and only criticise them, then that will not be right. Will it?”

The former foreign secretary ended the interview saying: “We cannot just forget that the influx started after the militant attack on the Myanmar military and police on August 24.”

According to the United Nations, the total number of Rohingya refugees to have entered Bangladesh, having fled the unrest in Myanmar since August 25, had now reached 409,000.

On September 8, India refused to sign a global declaration adopted at an international conclave, as it referred to the violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.

http://www.dhakatribune.com/world/s...gladesh-expect-india-criticise-myanmar-wrong/

 

[Homo Sapiens]

India should just behave like a major democratic country.And all other major democratic countries are criticizing burmese action.Otherwise it will be proving itself as biggest hypocrisy.Condemning burmese crime is not just Bangladeshi expectation, this is what any normal country should do.

India is already supporting burma anyway.so this snake's verbal diarrhoea means nothing.

 

[Joe Shearer]

bharat should just behave like a major democratic country.And all other major democratic countries are criticizing burmese action.Otherwise it will be proving itself as biggest hypocrisy.Condemning burmese crime is not just Bangladeshi expectation, this is what any normal country should do.

This gentleman has exercised his freedom of speech, and that is it. The country doesn't have to go with his thoughts or beliefs.

Incidentally, although he has put across his points in a bellicose manner, in effect, he is right. It's just that this is not the moment to look sour and brood over the decidedly asymmetric behaviour of the OIC. and others.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Incidentally, although he has put across his points in a bellicose manner, in effect, he is right. It's just that this is not the moment to look sour and brood over the decidedly asymmetric behaviour of the OIC. and others.

Silence about Yemen is shameful for muslim no doubt.The problem with Yemen is that, most muslim see it through sectarian lense.So no unified protest from muslim world.Civilian casualty there seen as co-lateral damage of two warring side.Rohingya issue is much like the Palestinian cause, is something which all muslim can agree with.There is a clear powerful oppressor and helpless victim here who are being murdered and ethnically cleansed from their land.This is something all people can sympathize with.

 

[Mage]

I don't think we expect anything from anyone anymore.

 

[UKBengali]

I don't think we expect anything from anyone anymore.

That is why BD needs to spend more than the lowly 1.5% of GDP that it currently does on defence.
It needs to be at least 2%.

 

[Imran Khan]

it was not expected from sugar daddy of haseena

 

[Mage]

That is why BD needs to spend more than the lowly 1.5% of GDP that it currently does on defence.
It needs to be at least 2%.

How much effect will it have? I think we're in a position where If we want to buy any military equipment which is up for sale, then we'll be able to afford it. But how would that change the situation? Do you think if we had a better Air Force then we would've attacked Myanmar? I now think we should look to develop nukes as fast as possible. Perhaps by 2030. But that's just my pipe dream.

 

[UKBengali]

How much effect will it have? I think we're in a position where If we want to buy any military equipment which is up for sale, then we'll be able to afford it. But how would that change the situation? Do you think if we had a better Air Force then we would've attacked Myanmar? I now think we should look to develop nukes as fast as possible. Perhaps by 2030. But that's just my pipe dream.

Despite what I have said war has to remain a last option.

If BD was spending a little more on defence than it has been doing, then it would have been able to threaten war credibly and that would have made Myanmar think twice. Remember at the end of the day, if it came to BD versus Myanmar alone then both sides know who is more populous(x3), wealthier(x3.5) and will win. Myanmar would be able to cause some damage to BD but a properly armed BD would pretty much send Myanmar back to stone age.

Nukes? Forget it. No powerful nation would support BD developing them. BD would be sanctioned to death.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

That is why BD needs to spend more than the lowly 1.5% of GDP that it currently does on defence.
It needs to be at least 2%.

Current defence budget is just 1.25% of GDP. 2% is not enough, we need to spend 3% for at least 20 years to catch up than can scale back to 2%.Our active armed forces should be 400k strong with 1500 tanks, 2000AFV,2000 artillery, 300 combat aircraft,12 frigate,12 Corvette, 8 submarine.If we can build this then we can say our armed forces are adequate for our need.

 

[UKBengali]

Current defence budget is just 1.25% of GDP.2% is not enough, we need to spend 3% for at least 20 years to catch up than can scale back to 2%.Our active armed forces should be 400k strong with 1500 tanks, 2000AFV,2000 artillery, 300 combat aircraft,12 frigate,12 Corvette, 8 submarine.If we can build this then we can say our armed forces are adequate for our need.

It is 1.5% when you take arms imports into account.

3% would be too much right now for a budget that is only 15% of GDP.

I would say raise to 2% by 2020 and the growing economy should allow enough military power to totally
dominate Myanmar and deter India.

 

[Mage]

Despite what I have said war has to remain a last option.

If BD was spending a little more on defence than it has been doing, then it would have been able to threaten war credibly and that would have made Myanmar think twice. Remember at the end of the day, if it came to BD versus Myanmar alone then both sides know who is more populous(x3), wealthier(x3.5) and will win. Myanmar would be able to cause some damage to BD but a properly armed BD would pretty much send Myanmar back to stone age.

Nukes? Forget it. No powerful nation would support BD developing them. BD would be sanctioned to death.

Then we need to develop them in absolute secrecy like Israel. Nukes will solve a lot of problem security wise. India wouldn't act arrogant in the borders if we have nukes. Myanmar wuldntdare anything what they are doing. Even China would....dhe

 

[UKBengali]

Then we need to develop them in absolute secrecy like Israel. Nukes will solve a lot of problem security wise. India wouldn't act arrogant in the borders if we have nukes. Myanmar wuldntdare anything what they are doing. Even China would....dhe

Actually France helped the Jews develop the bomb and the US turned a blind eye to it.

There is no way that BD would be able to develop a bomb in secrecy. It would need to build another reactor that could process highly enriched uranium and that would take at least 10-15 years. If somehow BD built this reactor, then it would become a prime target for Indian attack and unless it had a large and advanced air-force and air-defence then it would have no hope of defending it. After that it would take many more years to develop a working bomb, all the while powerful countries like US, EU, China, Russia and Japan would apply economic pressure to make BD change course.

Simply nukes are not an option while BD remains so poor and irrelevant in the world. Maybe in a few decades that could change. In the meantime it needs to increase defence spending by a little and build a strong conventional military.

 

[Mage]

Actually France helped the Jews develop the bomb and the US turned a blind eye to it.

There is no way that BD would be able to develop a bomb in secrecy. It would need to build another reactor that could process highly enriched uranium and that would take at least 10-15 years. If somehow BD built this reactor, then it would become a prime target for Indian attack and unless it had a large and advanced air-force and air-defence then it would have no hope of defending it. After that it would take many more years to develop a working bomb, all the while powerful countries like US, EU, China, Russia and Japan would apply economic pressure to make BD change course.

Simply nukes are not an option while BD remains so poor and irrelevant in the world. Maybe in a few decades that could change. In the meantime it needs to increase defence spending by a little and build a strong conventional military.

NK developed them Pak did long ago....Iran trying to do so. Why BD will lag behind? We live in a dangerous region. Everyone has problem with everyone in that region. We will never be under China/India or Pakistan's nuclear umbrella like Japan/Korea is under USA's. Why do we suck so much?

 

[UKBengali]

NK developed them Pak did long ago....Iran trying to do so. Why BD will lag behind? We live in a dangerous region. Everyone has problem with everyone in that region. We will never be under China/India or Pakistan's nuclear umbrella like Japan/Korea is under USA's. Why do we suck so much?

Over the last nearly 30 years, BD's problem has been this quasi-democratic system that is actually rule of two families. BNP is the rule of Zia clan while Awami League has been the rule of the Rahman clan.

Nothing much was accomplished by either as whatever was done by one party, when the other party got into power they just wanted to reverse this. It is slightly different now as Awami League is in power for two-terms under dubious circumstances.

As an example of the buffoonery of the two main parties in BD, Awami League brought the Bangabandu frigate and 8 Mig-29s during their term of 1996-2001. All that BNP did when they came into power in 2001 was to mothball the Bangabandu frigate and then try to sell the 8 Mig-29s! These 8 Mig-29s are the only modern fighter aircraft that BAF currently has.

Now the Awami League may be doing ok economy wise but they do not understand that defence spending needs to rise with the threat from Myanmar. It was abundantly clear in 2012 that Myanmar wanted to drive the Rohingyas into BD but what modern aircraft have been purchased by BAF since then? 24 Yak-130s and 9 K-9s! So Awami League has ordered 33 modern trainers but not a single fighter plane! A sensible government would be ordering both trainers and fighters at the same time, bearing in mind the neighbourhood that BD finds itself in.

I am hoping that what has happened will have neutralised the peaceniks in both Awami League and BD in general, and more resources are poured into BD military to allow it to defend itself and it's vital interests.