The Hindu : National : `Myanmar must implement commitment to multi-party system'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 21, 2004

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National

`Myanmar must implement commitment to multi-party system'

By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 20. India believes that the Myanmar Government should implement its own commitment to ``multi-party'' democracy, sources in the External Affairs Ministry said ahead of the October 25 visit of Senior General Than Shwe to New Delhi.

Asked whether India should not call for restoration of democracy in Myanmar, the sources said India had not shied away from the issue. ``We believe that this commitment [to multi-party] democracy should be adhered to.''

However, the sources made it clear that India looked at Myanmar through the prism of its security concerns and economic linkages with South-East Asia. Whether it was a democratic or military government in Myanmar, India's ``strategic compulsions'' will not change.

As of now there was no change in the scheduled visit of Senior General Than Shwe despite the arrest of the former Prime Minister, Khin Nyunt, on Monday night in Yangon.

India's assessment is that the removal of Gen. Khin Nyunt and the appointment of Gen. Soe Win as Prime Minister ``reflected differences'' at the top level of the military government in Myanmar. A troika comprising Senior General Than Shwe, Mr. Khin Nyunt and Vice Senior General Maung Aye, had held sway until recently.

Describing the sacking of Mr. Khin Nyunt as a significant development, the sources said that those inclined to be more flexible in dealing with the domestic opposition in Myanmar were now out of the picture. A more hard-line approach, internally, and one less likely to make concessions, could be seen. However, they felt it would be wrong to see Mr. Khin Nyunt as a ``closet liberal.''

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