On January 18, 2020, General Min Aung Hlaing and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Nay Pyi Taw.
The Chinese government and the Burmese military council are working on 92 projects worth 27.4 million US dollars, the press release of the military council said today.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Military Council said that it is working with the Mekong-Lanchon cooperation program. It is not mentioned what the projects are.
After the coup, many western countries have sanctioned the military council, but neighboring China continues to work with the military council.
As of the end of January 2023, the three countries with the most investment in Myanmar are Singapore, It was stated in the press release of the investment commission meeting of the Burmese Military Council held on February 13 that China and Thailand.
The relationship between the Burmese coup military council and China continues to improve, and Kyaukphyu deep sea port for China. oil and natural gas pipeline; Import of tin and copper; The Diplomat reported on February 14 that trade in rare earth metals needs to be facilitated.
The Chinese ambassador to Myanmar said during the New Year last year that China-Myanmar relations will increase multi-sectoral cooperation, and the military leader also said that China is a comprehensive strategic cooperation partner.
Closer relationship with India's military council
Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vani Mohan Kwara and the leader of the Military Council, General Min Aung Hlaing, 2022. When they met in Nay Pyi Taw on November 21.
Myanmar Military
India-based Burmese civil society organizations point out that India, a powerful neighbor of Myanmar, is treating the military council responsible for serious human rights violations and coups as the legitimate government.
In the two years of the coup, India has provided arms to the military council four times, and the Indian ambassador to Myanmar, Shri Vinay Kumar, attended the military council's Independence Day ceremony on January 4, 2023, according to India for Myanmar, a group that helps Myanmar and war-affected refugees in India.
"Beyond Russia and even China, it is the world's largest neighbor, a democratic country that has very close relations with us."
Although India is treating the military council according to its interests, it is closer than the communist countries such as Russia and China, said Salaid Dokhar, the person in charge of the India For Myanmar group.
"Before the seizure of power, it was seen that the relationship with India was the same as that of the formal government from the beginning. I would like to say that the Russians Even beyond China, the world's largest neighbor It's a democratic state."
After the coup d'état in Myanmar, India's delegation in 2021 On March 27, he attended the Military Day ceremony of the Military Council in Nay Pyi Taw.
In April and July 2022, the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, Shri Vinay Kumar, met with the Ministers of the Military Council, U Ko Ko Hlaing, As well as meeting U Khin Ri and discussing helping in the 2024 census, in November 2022, Indian Foreign Ministry Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra visited military leader General Min Aung Hlaing.
Salai Ceu Bik Thawng, chairman of the Interim National Consultative Council (ICNCC), said that India's lack of support for democratic forces depends on the ruling party.
"If only the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) party did not form the government at the center and the government was like the Congress (Indian National Congress) party, it would have been much different. Their foreign policies are also different. During the 1988 uprising, the revolutionary groups were officially established. It was the Congress party at that time. I see that a lot depends on the BJP and Modi's political stance now."
The Bharatiya Janata Party is a nationalist and conservative party, while the Indian National Congress is a liberal party.
Salai Ceu Bik Thaw also said that the Indian government does not want the military council, but they are dealing with the military council for their interests so that they do not side with China.
After the coup, the Indian government and Indian companies told the military council that in 2021, radar technology, remote control air defense weapon; 2022 thermal imaging view of automatic rifles and snipers. The India For Myanmar group said that they sold and sent weapons used in bombs and weapons.
The Kalatan River Comprehensive Development Project, which is carried out by India's Eastward Policy, was halted for around two years due to the fighting in Rakhine State, but it resumed at the end of December 2022 when the Military Council and the Rakhine Army signed a cease-fire.
In this project, expansion of Sittwe Port and Kalatan River. There are plans to build a road from Paletwa in Chin State to Mizoram in India, and this project has been in progress since 2009, aiming for the North East region of India, where road communication is difficult.
National Unity Government (NUG) presidential office spokesperson U Kyaw Zaw said that only revolutionary forces can guarantee the interests of the Indian government.
"What the NUG government wants to say is that the best and strongest guarantee for India's interests is the success of our people's spring revolution. I would like to say that we can best guarantee the interests of India by implementing the will of the people who are fighting to reach the path of true democracy."
The military council's air force crossed Indian airspace when it bombed the headquarters of the Chin National Front (CNF) on January 10, causing a large explosion in a village in Mizoram state, residents said.
But India The Mizoram state government has denied that there was any heavy weapons attack and has not formally objected to it.
Chin National Front (CNF) spokesman Salai Chetni said that India's turning a blind eye to the work of the military council is to jointly crush the armed forces on the border between the two countries.
"Since 1990, India's policy of cooperating with the Myanmar central government and suppressing both armed organizations on the border under the pretext of securing their borders is still alive. I am silent on the bombing of our headquarters by airplanes and such in their country. No matter how much he does in the region, he is doing a great job. I see it the same way.”
In this attack on the CNF headquarters, five CNF soldiers were killed and some houses and buildings were damaged.
After the attack on the CNF headquarters, the Indian side of Myanmar has tightened the screening of war refugees, according to Israel Thang, the information officer of the Matupi Chin Refugee Community.
“It happened since the military council talks with India. Especially after the shooting of the Victoria camp, it got worse. In the border area, there are many inconveniences when crossing from Myanmar to India. There is a lot of testing. Recently, there have been registrations. If you check the men, it's normal. But it is not convenient for women. They are checking every detail. We are oppressed as refugees. That's what I'm experiencing."
Myanmar-India border crossings are controlled by the central government of India and women are being examined in detail. Israel Thang said that human rights are being violated.
He added that while the Mizoram state government is taking care of Burmese war refugees, there is no help from the Indian central government.
He said that at the beginning of 2023, around 100 Burmese people were arrested in the Indian state of Manipur, even in the villages where they were living.
On the second anniversary of the coup, the Indian central government banned the silent movement in Mizoram.
Mizoram, India, bordering war refugees from Burma. Manipur According to data from MCRC, there are more than 50,000 people who have fled to states like Nagaland.
Civil organizations say that India, which has good relations with the military council, will only be able to get it if it is pressured by the international community to stand on the side of the democratic forces.