India is in conversation with all concerned in Myanmar is trying to facilitate and address the situation, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Monday. In an address at Ananta Aspen Centre, Mr Shringla said the situation in Myanmar was ‘complex’ and that India is working in the UN Security Council in a constructive manner to facilitate ‘balanced outcomes’ that could assist in resolving the situation.
Myanmar has been witnessing street protests since the military seized control of the country in a coup on February 1 after detaining Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD).
He said the gains made by Myanmar over the last decades on the path towards democracy should not be undermined and that India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in the country for it to emerge as a stable democratic federal union.
“We have had good links with all concerned in Myanmar to work with all sides which we are doing. We are in open conversation with all concerned in trying to facilitate and address the situation to the best of our ability,” he said.
“But we as a democracy and a neighbour of Myanmar have a slightly different take from those who might be looking at it from elsewhere. We are certainly conscious to do it in a manner that is keeping in mind the sensitivities concerned, keeping in mind the requirements,” Shringla said.
The foreign secretary also said the imposition of sanctions against Myanmar could impact food security or availability of goods as well as trigger inflation.
“What is important is that we need to work in a constructive manner to ensure that we ultimately meet our objective of restoring democracy but at the same time we need to ensure that we do it without in any way impacting the well-being and welfare of the people of Myanmar,” he said.