Modi holds talks with Myanmar junta chief as India doubles down on engagement strategy
NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks Monday with Myanmar’s military-backed president, Min Aung Hlaing, marking the latest sign that New Delhi is determined to keep lines of communication open even as Western powers continue to isolate the junta over its 2021 seizure of power.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described the engagement as a practical necessity. “Our policy is not intended to be a commentary on the internal political arrangements in Myanmar,” he said, adding that New Delhi believes sustained dialogue is the most effective way to pursue its interests in the region.
The meeting drew swift criticism from human rights groups and some analysts who argued that welcoming the junta chief risks normalizing a regime that has been accused of widespread atrocities. Since overthrowing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, Myanmar’s military has waged a brutal crackdown on dissidents and armed opposition groups, plunging large parts of the country into civil war and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Misri pushed back against the idea that India was legitimizing the junta, saying that “history has shown that disengagement doesn’t give us any results that are better than engagement.” He noted that India’s approach is shared by a number of regional neighbors, who view isolation as counterproductive to managing cross-border challenges.
Monday’s meeting was Min Aung Hlaing’s first official trip to India since he became president in April this year, following an election widely condemned as a sham designed to entrench military rule. His previous visit to India was in 2019, when he was still serving as Myanmar’s military chief.
India shares a 1,643-kilometer (1,020-mile) border with Myanmar and a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal, making it acutely sensitive to instability across the frontier. More than 10,000 refugees from Myanmar have fled into India’s northeastern states, particularly from Chin state and other conflict zones, placing a strain on local resources and testing New Delhi’s asylum policies.
Beyond humanitarian concerns, Myanmar holds strategic importance for India’s security interests. The two countries have long cooperated on border security and intelligence sharing to combat insurgent groups that operate from jungle hideouts along the porous border. New Delhi also views Myanmar as a crucial link in its “Act East” policy, which aims to deepen economic integration with Southeast Asia through road and energy projects.
Neither Modi nor Min Aung Hlaing appeared before the media after their talks, a departure from the usual practice for visiting heads of state. Misri, however, detailed that their discussions covered trade, defense, border management, and regional security. He said both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in energy, critical minerals, and large infrastructure projects, including connectivity corridors that have been stalled in recent years.
The leaders also addressed the surge in cyber fraud and human trafficking in the region, which has ensnared thousands of Indians lured by false job promises to scam compounds along the Myanmar-Thailand border. Misri reported that Indian and Myanmar authorities have jointly rescued more than 2,400 Indian nationals over the past 18 months.
During his stay in New Delhi, Min Aung Hlaing also met Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, underscoring the breadth of engagement despite diplomatic headwinds.