Summit in Myanmar
Source: By Salman Haidar: The Statesman
The seven-member BIMSTEC held its summit in Myanmar a few days ago. This is a group of countries from South and South-east Asia who meet periodically to promote cooperation amongst themselves, mainly in economic areas, with trade and connectivity prominent among them. The organisation was set up a little less than two decades ago and has been fairly active since then, the recent summit being its third, with a number of ministerial and official meetings taking place at regular intervals. Yet for all the media attention the Myanmar meeting commanded, it might never have happened for it was crowded out by the elections about which speculation was in full flow even as the summit was being convened. Nor was there any burning issue to dominate the event and command wider attention.
As summits go this was thus a rather quiet affair, though it merits particular note as Mr Manmohan Singh’s swansong on the international stage. Not long after his return the election was announced and the model code came into effect, which precludes any further high-level diplomatic activity by the Prime Minister. Such a quiet exit can be considered typical of the individual who never projected himself or sought the limelight though he was very active internationally. The last decade, the period of Mr Manmohan Singh as helmsman, has been diplomatically a very lively one for India and has been marked by some game-changing initiatives, the Indo-US nuclear deal perhaps the foremost of them. The Prime Minister’s participation in top-level meetings across the globe has invariably had substantive purpose beyond the summit razzmatazz and has earned him high respect among his peers. Whoever comes after him will have something to live up to.
BIMSTEC brings together countries on the littoral of the Bay of Bengal. The weightiest of these is India, which has always taken a lead role in putting the organisation together and keeping it active. There are other, more strongly established, regional and sub-regional bodies to contend with, so BIMSTEC has had to develop a programme of activity distinct from that of the others to serve the interests of its members. ASEAN is an acknowledged success and its membership includes all the BIMSTEC countries, either as members or as its associates; SAARC may still be toiling in the shadows but it too makes claims on nearly all those who belong to BIMSTEC. Nevertheless, this newer organisation has survived and continues to perform a useful task for its members. This is a part of Asia where connectivity has lagged behind and where the economic transformation to be seen elsewhere is yet to be firmly established. Potentially these are all ‘tigers’ but are yet to proclaim themselves collectively.
Looking east from India, one can see a clear reason why this should be so. Connectivity by land more or less stops at the frontier. Major roads were constructed during World War II connecting India with Burma and China but once hostilities were ended, these were allowed to decay. Moreover, there was reluctance on New Delhi’s part to open up the border areas for fear of granting easy ingress to unfriendly elements beyond the frontier. As a result, this part has been cut off from the economic opportunities so dramatically developed by the countries of SE Asia. And as the eastward lines of access lead through India, its partners in BIMSTEC like Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh have been similarly affected. Contrast China, that has developed multiple access by road and rail and river, from its remote south-west into the heart of SE Asia. BIMSTEC represents a response to the sense of being cut off from the flourishing activity to the east that has affected many parts of South Asia.
The aim may be laudable but there are problems to be overcome along the way. Border issues can be tricky, the more so where traditional frontiers have not been fully demarcated on the ground. The recent summit provoked some demands for an end to the fencing being set up around the border crossing post near Moreh where local interests are affected. There are several comparable situations elsewhere too where local issues can affect the ambitious plans of central authorities ~ the India-Bangladesh border provides several examples. Serving BIMSTEC’s broader purpose needs such localised matters to be resolved rapidly.
The general trend within the region towards greater connectivity is nevertheless positive and the summit in Myanmar has done its bit to ensure that progress is not impeded. The host country has only recently overcome the international opprobrium that kept it on the defensive and the fact that it could hold the summit shows that it is now in a position to play a much fuller part in regional affairs, commensurate with its interests and its capacity.
Apart from the major theme of connectivity, the meeting focused on practical measures of economic cooperation. There has been talk of preferential trading arrangements among the members. Quite how this could work is as yet not clear: the experience of SAARC shows how complicated and ultimately insuperable such issues can become, for uneven political relationships within the group can come in the way. Moreover, in this era of globalisation and removal of barriers to economic exchanges, a sub-regional organisation like BIMSTEC may not be the ideal forum for such a trade-related initiative. But even while wider arrangements for improved trade among the members as a whole may require further work before they take shape, stronger bilateral cooperation has been induced by the summit, especially in the power sector. It was announced that India would provide another 100 MW of electric power to Bangladesh, beyond the 50 MW it already supplies, and stronger Indian support for some hydro-electric power projects in Bhutan was also announced. These are matters that have been hanging fire for quite some time and the summit gave an opportunity for leaders to meet and take the necessary decisions.
On another matter, something that is of growing region-wide concern, the summit resolved to strengthen cooperation among member-states on measures to combat terrorism. There are several insurgencies in different parts of the region that can affect the political cooperation that the countries seek, so it is necessary for them to present a joint front in this matter.
On one key issue no clear decision came out of the summit, and this is the matter of a Secretariat for BIMSTEC. It is agreed on all sides that such a body is needed, and some inter-governmental bodies have already been set up to guide action in some fields. But the kind of secretariat that could maintain a regional watch and give impetus remains to be established. This could be the next real challenge for BIMSTEC.
The seven-member BIMSTEC held its summit in Myanmar a few days ago. This is a group of countries from South and South-east Asia who meet periodically to promote cooperation amongst themselves, mainly in economic areas, with trade and connectivity prominent among them. The organisation was set up a little less than two decades ago and has been fairly active since then, the recent summit being its third, with a number of ministerial and official meetings taking place at regular intervals. Yet for all the media attention the Myanmar meeting commanded, it might never have happened for it was crowded out by the elections about which speculation was in full flow even as the summit was being convened. Nor was there any burning issue to dominate the event and command wider attention.
As summits go this was thus a rather quiet affair, though it merits particular note as Mr Manmohan Singh’s swansong on the international stage. Not long after his return the election was announced and the model code came into effect, which precludes any further high-level diplomatic activity by the Prime Minister. Such a quiet exit can be considered typical of the individual who never projected himself or sought the limelight though he was very active internationally. The last decade, the period of Mr Manmohan Singh as helmsman, has been diplomatically a very lively one for India and has been marked by some game-changing initiatives, the Indo-US nuclear deal perhaps the foremost of them. The Prime Minister’s participation in top-level meetings across the globe has invariably had substantive purpose beyond the summit razzmatazz and has earned him high respect among his peers. Whoever comes after him will have something to live up to.
BIMSTEC brings together countries on the littoral of the Bay of Bengal. The weightiest of these is India, which has always taken a lead role in putting the organisation together and keeping it active. There are other, more strongly established, regional and sub-regional bodies to contend with, so BIMSTEC has had to develop a programme of activity distinct from that of the others to serve the interests of its members. ASEAN is an acknowledged success and its membership includes all the BIMSTEC countries, either as members or as its associates; SAARC may still be toiling in the shadows but it too makes claims on nearly all those who belong to BIMSTEC. Nevertheless, this newer organisation has survived and continues to perform a useful task for its members. This is a part of Asia where connectivity has lagged behind and where the economic transformation to be seen elsewhere is yet to be firmly established. Potentially these are all ‘tigers’ but are yet to proclaim themselves collectively.
Looking east from India, one can see a clear reason why this should be so. Connectivity by land more or less stops at the frontier. Major roads were constructed during World War II connecting India with Burma and China but once hostilities were ended, these were allowed to decay. Moreover, there was reluctance on New Delhi’s part to open up the border areas for fear of granting easy ingress to unfriendly elements beyond the frontier. As a result, this part has been cut off from the economic opportunities so dramatically developed by the countries of SE Asia. And as the eastward lines of access lead through India, its partners in BIMSTEC like Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh have been similarly affected. Contrast China, that has developed multiple access by road and rail and river, from its remote south-west into the heart of SE Asia. BIMSTEC represents a response to the sense of being cut off from the flourishing activity to the east that has affected many parts of South Asia.
The aim may be laudable but there are problems to be overcome along the way. Border issues can be tricky, the more so where traditional frontiers have not been fully demarcated on the ground. The recent summit provoked some demands for an end to the fencing being set up around the border crossing post near Moreh where local interests are affected. There are several comparable situations elsewhere too where local issues can affect the ambitious plans of central authorities ~ the India-Bangladesh border provides several examples. Serving BIMSTEC’s broader purpose needs such localised matters to be resolved rapidly.
The general trend within the region towards greater connectivity is nevertheless positive and the summit in Myanmar has done its bit to ensure that progress is not impeded. The host country has only recently overcome the international opprobrium that kept it on the defensive and the fact that it could hold the summit shows that it is now in a position to play a much fuller part in regional affairs, commensurate with its interests and its capacity.
Apart from the major theme of connectivity, the meeting focused on practical measures of economic cooperation. There has been talk of preferential trading arrangements among the members. Quite how this could work is as yet not clear: the experience of SAARC shows how complicated and ultimately insuperable such issues can become, for uneven political relationships within the group can come in the way. Moreover, in this era of globalisation and removal of barriers to economic exchanges, a sub-regional organisation like BIMSTEC may not be the ideal forum for such a trade-related initiative. But even while wider arrangements for improved trade among the members as a whole may require further work before they take shape, stronger bilateral cooperation has been induced by the summit, especially in the power sector. It was announced that India would provide another 100 MW of electric power to Bangladesh, beyond the 50 MW it already supplies, and stronger Indian support for some hydro-electric power projects in Bhutan was also announced. These are matters that have been hanging fire for quite some time and the summit gave an opportunity for leaders to meet and take the necessary decisions.
On another matter, something that is of growing region-wide concern, the summit resolved to strengthen cooperation among member-states on measures to combat terrorism. There are several insurgencies in different parts of the region that can affect the political cooperation that the countries seek, so it is necessary for them to present a joint front in this matter.
On one key issue no clear decision came out of the summit, and this is the matter of a Secretariat for BIMSTEC. It is agreed on all sides that such a body is needed, and some inter-governmental bodies have already been set up to guide action in some fields. But the kind of secretariat that could maintain a regional watch and give impetus remains to be established. This could be the next real challenge for BIMSTEC.
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