Prasun K. Sengupta

Between May till September this year, there was a flurry of military diplomacy undertaken by both India and Myanmar, which began with the Indian Army’s Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat, undertaking a four-day visit to Yangon from May 28 to 31.

This was followed by the eight-day visit to India by the Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar’s armed forces (Tatmadaw), Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, starting July 7, which saw India going all out to make his visit a resounding success with top-level meetings, visits to various military and military-industrial establishments and a series of banquets. Next to arrive was the Commander-in Chief of the Union of Myanmar Air Force, Gen. Khin Aung Myint, on August 21, following which the Commander-in-Chief of the Union of Myanmar Navy, Admiral Tin Aung, came calling on September 22.

These visits are not unusual when one considers the increasing quantum of military-industrial cooperation that has been underway between the two countries since 2006. For instance, it was in August 2006 that the first two of four ex-Indian Navy Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander maritime surveillance/air ambulance aircraft was