Myanmar to set up Army cantonment in Naga hills

Guwahati: In what may be a major breakthrough for India on security front, neighbouring Myanmar has started identifying locations for setting up army cantonment in Myanmar-Naga Hills area to take control of its no man’s land treated as a safe sanctuary by insurgent groups for past several years.

Disclosing that military establishments of Myanmar has not only agreed to make their administrative presence felt, authoritative security sources in the home ministry told this newspaper that Myanmar has also agreed to start coordinated patrolling along the international border with India.

Pointing out that Myanmar did not have any administrative presence in Myanmar-Naga Hills so far, security sources said that India in a meeting with its counterpart in April proposed to increase their administrative presence in these areas.

Informing that Myanmar army was maintaining surveillance in these hilly terrain by sending patrol parties on and off, security sources said that setting up of army cantonment and bid to increase infrastructure would help in driving out the Indian insurgents from Myanmar.

Attributing it a failure of Indian diplomacy which was ignoring Myanmar for long, security sources credited it to New Delhi which has not only been giving importance to its immediate neighbours but also increasing economic ties with them.

Referring that Myanmar was also laying stress on increasing bilateral trade relationship with India, security sources said that new regime in Myanmar has also decided to enhance its connectivity with bordering areas.

Asserting that India has given commitment on extending all kind of assistance to improve connectivity, security sources said that Myanmar has reiterated its commitment to stop its soil from being used against India by separatist groups.

Security sources said that Myanmar was willing and taking steps to increase bilateral relationship on many front.