No move to invite Myanmar ruler for Republic Day parade: MEA

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 22

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) scotched reports that New Delhi is considering inviting leaders of the BIMSTEC grouping which would have meant giving Myanmar ruler Gen Min Aung Hlaing an opportunity to share the international stage.

The Chairman of Myanmar’s State Administration Council who dissolved the Myanmar Parliament, threw a large number of politicians in jail and brutally put down protests against army rule is currently being shunned by the international community.

The last ASEAN summit saw Myanmar’s representation being downgraded so as to avoid inviting the General.

In response to reports regarding the Chief Guest for next year’s Republic Day, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We have seen a speculative media report regarding the Chief Guest for Republic Day 2022. The report is inaccurate and has no factual basis.”

The report said the plan was to invite all the leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). India has tried to promote this grouping rather than SAARC because Pakistan is not its member. Besides India, the other six members are Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan.

The news broke weeks before India is to participate in a Meeting of Democracies to be hosted by US President Joe Biden. In his recent speeches to external audiences, PM Modi has emphasised why democracies should cooperate in the development of critical technologies for they alone can account for the ethical aspects.

All the BIMSTEC leaders attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second swearing-in as prime minister in 2019 but at that time Myanmar was a democracy.

Even though some leaders have changed, all the members remain well disposed towards India on a personal basis. They include Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh), Sher Bahadur Deuba (Nepal), Prayut Chan-o-cha (Thailand), Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka), Lotay Tshering (Bhutan) and Gen. Min Aung Hlaing (Myanmar).

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