A senior Indian military official met the Myanmar military’s No. 3 General Maung Maung Aye on Monday in Naypyitaw to discuss training and academic cooperation between the two sides.
Myanmar’s information ministry identified the visitor as “Maj-Gen Ajay Kumar Singh, directing staff of the National Defence College in New Delhi”. He is the first Indian general to meet Maung Maung Aye since military intelligence director Maj-Gen Charanjeet Singh Dewgun in June.
The two discussed the promotion of friendship between the two militaries, increased cooperation in defense, training, border stability and rule of law, plus the exchange of trainees, according to the ministry.
As the military’s chief of general staff, Maung Maung Aye has been sanctioned by western governments for undermining democracy in Myanmar,
Monday’s meeting came on the heels of talks between new Chinese ambassador to Myanmar, Ma Jia. and junta Defense Minister General Tin Aung San in late August in Naypyitaw to discuss joint training with the People’s Liberation Army.
While most members of the international community shun the Myanmar junta for its human rights violations, neighboring India has strengthened military ties with the generals since the 2021 coup. The world’s largest democracy continues to engage with the generals even after the latter demonstrated their inability to crush the popular revolution.
In February, India’s Lieutenant-General Harjeet Singh Sahi, the general officer commanding III Corps, visited deputy junta chief Soe Win in Naypyitaw to discuss cooperation on border security and development.
In May, India’s Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence), Air Vice Marshal Ichettira Iyappa Kuttappa met junta air force chief Gen. Tun Aung in Naypyitaw to discuss the exchange of trainees and technology and promotion of ties between the two armed forces.
The next month Myanmar hosted the 6th Myanmar-India Army to Army Staff Talk in Naypyitaw, while India’s national security advisor paid a call on junta boss Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw in July to discuss the junta’s preparations for a proposed poll, and border peace and stability.
India is the third-biggest supplier of arms and equipment to the junta, trailing only Russia and China, rights group Justice for Myanmar noted in a March report. It urged governments and companies that do business with India’s military and defense industry to use their leverage to urge New Delhi to ban all support for Myanmar’s junta.
India also continues to invest in Myanmar, supplying the regime with sources of revenue, and is providing assistance for the proposed election, which has been denounced as a sham designed to maintain the military’s grip on power.
