India-Myanmar Relation

Context:

In May, 2024, Myanmar’s army claimed success in retaking Myawaddy from the anti-government coalition.
Myawaddy is a critical node in the bustling trade route with its eastern neighbour, Thailand.
Different towns of Myanmar have come under the control of the rebel forces since 2021.
As the threat from the collapsing authority of the Myanmarese state envelops the rest of the region, the intervention of external powers has become acute.
In this scenario, the role of India as Myanmar’s neighbour needs to be examined.

Background:

India-Myanmar relations are rooted in shared historical, ethnic, cultural and religious ties.
As the land of Lord Buddha, India is a country of pilgrimage for the people of Myanmar.
The geographical proximity of the two countries has helped develop and sustain cordial relations and facilitated people-to people contact. India and Myanmar share a long land border of over 1600 km and a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.
A large population of Indian origin (according to some estimates about 2.5 million) lives in Myanmar.
India and Myanmar signed a Treaty of Friendship in 1951. The visit of the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1987 laid the foundations for a stronger relationship between India and Myanmar.
In 2018, both countries signed a landmark ‘Land Border Crossing Agreement’ to deal with the pending border problems along with issues relating to smuggling and illicit drug trafficking.

Sources:

Today Current Affairs Upsc Exam Syllabus & Previous Yearpaper.