We believe in engaging Myanmar govt: India

Prakash Chawla

Bangkok, Aug 13 (PTI) India Thursday justified its
policy of engaging with the military government of Myanmar and
made it clear that it will not indulge in any "prescriptive"
approach towards it.

"We believe in engaging with them... It is important to
remain engaged," India Commerce and Industry Minister Anand
Sharma said replying to a query by a journalist here on
India's approach towards Myanmar where pro-democracy leader
Aung San Suu Kyi has been slapped with a fresh sentence for
violating the terms of her house arrest.

"We have never been prescriptive as to what they should
do... We are not prescriptive with anyone," he said.

On criticism by the West, Sharma said: "It is easy to
look at a picture from a distance" but made it clear that
India's policy on democracy cannot be questioned.

"India's stand on democracy is well known. We stand for
democracy and democratic reforms," said Sharma, who was
Minister of State for External Affairs in the previous United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

Myanmar's military regime has come under renewed attack
lately after Suu Kyi was sentenced to a three-year term that
was commuted by the government to 18 months of house arrest.

India, while advocating the need for democracy in
Myanmar, believes that deriding of the military government
will not help achieve the aim but rather complicate matters.
PTI PC
DDC
NNNN




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