In a significant move, India and Myanmar have agreed to further strengthen cooperation in tackling activities of insurgents, drug traffickers and other hostile elements along their borders. It is learnt that Yangon gave assurance that it would severely punish arms smugglers. Both the countries have also decided hold joint interrogation of persons arrested on charges of drug and arms smuggling and for insurgency-related activities.

Decisions on these issues were reached at the 11th round of Home Secretary level talks between the two countries in Yangon. On India’s request, the Myanmar agreed to look into the issue of release of five Indian nationals who were arrested by its army in June this year, a Home Ministry spokesman said. While the Indian delegation was led by Union Home Secretary V. K. Duggal, the Myanmarese side was headed by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Brig-Gen Phone Swe.

During the talks, the Myanmarese side requested for sympathetic consideration to their fishermen who crossed the maritime-boundary inadvertently. To this, Duggal suggested that a working group at the level of the two foreign offices, and including representatives from their security forces, could examine the steps needed to evolve a mechanism so that innocent fishermen from both sides who drifted inadvertently   into the territorial waters of the  other side might not be put to  undue hardships.

“All efforts will be made to ensure that the report of this working group is available before the next meeting” of the Home Secretaries, the spokesman said here without elaborating. He said issues relating to security, drug-trafficking, border trade, border management and proposed infrastructure projects in Myanmar were discussed. “Both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in tackling the activities of insurgents, arms smugglers, drug traffickers and other hostile elements along the India-Myanmar border,” he said.

The status of various infrastructure projects in Myanmar, particularly in road and power sectors, which the two countries have agreed to cooperate, was also reviewed at the meeting. “It was agreed that, when completed, these projects would help in economic development of the border areas and would also promote greater movement and interaction of people across the border,” the spokesman said.

Myanmar Home Minister Maj Gen Maung Oo, who had a meeting with members of the Indian team, assured Duggal that arms smugglers would be severely punished if caught on Myanmar soil. The two sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation especially in curbing drug trafficking, the spokesman said adding the discussions were held in a very warm and cordial atmosphere.

Duggal suggested that in future issues likely to be discussed at such national level meetings should be exchanged between the two sides at least three months in advance so that the talks could be more specific and fruitful. Both sides were of the view that these deliberations would help in further strengthening friendly relations between the two neighbours.

It may be mentioned here that the porous border between India and Myanmar has assumed a dangerous place with all criminal activities including trans-border timber smuggling and unrestrained trade in narcotic drugs. People, for long, are trying to draw the attention of the authorities. But so far mo significant measures have been taken by the Government tp prevent criminals from taking advantage of the porous border. One can only hope that the understanding reached between     the two countries will help to prevent crimes along the international border.

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