Reuters reported on September 23 that the Myanmar military and opposition forces such as the National Unity Government NUG, the AA, the Kachin Independence Army KIA, and the Chin National Front CNF have been invited to the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) talks to be held in New Delhi in mid-November.
The Indian government has provided military equipment and other cooperation to the Burmese army, and on the other hand, it is also unique that it has invited the opposition forces of the Burmese army to participate in the talks.
The Myanmar military has very close relations with China, and currently there is cooperation with the Myanmar military from the Indian side. Inviting the Chin, Kachin, and Rakhine peoples who border India to talk is also an attempt to sour things between Myanmar’s revolutionary forces.
The Indian government has spent 400 million US dollars on the construction of the Kalatan project and road in Rakhine state, and another 250 million US dollars has been spent on the Thai-Myanmar road connection in northeastern India.
In 2021, the military seized power from the civilian government in Myanmar, and in the battles between the Myanmar army and the revolutionary forces, China and India have helped the coup army with a lot of military support. After that, China is trying to influence some of the revolutionary forces that are in opposition to the Myanmar army, and India’s invitation to such talks may be an attempt to make the ethnic revolutionary forces similar to China.
It has been seen in media interviews that the Chin National Front CNF will attend the ICWA meeting, but AA NUG and KIA have not yet disclosed anything.
