India hosts Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing in New Delhi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met Myanmar military government leader Min Aung Hlaing in New Delhi, in a visit that has drawn criticism from opposition figures and rights groups. India said it will continue engaging with Myanmar and described dialogue as the best way forward. The meeting comes as Myanmar remains in the grip of conflict after the 2021 coup that brought Min Aung Hlaing to power.

Sponsored

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said New Delhi's policy was "not intended to be a commentary on the internal political arrangements" in Myanmar. He said India believes sustained dialogue is important and that isolating Myanmar would be counterproductive. According to the briefing, the two leaders discussed trade, defence and security cooperation, border management and regional issues.

Modi and Min Aung Hlaing did not speak to the media after the meeting. The visit is Min Aung Hlaing's first to India since he was sworn in as president in April, following an election that critics say was designed to cement his hold on power. It is also his first trip to India since 2019, when he was Myanmar's military chief.

He arrived in India on Saturday and first travelled to Bodh Gaya in the eastern state of Bihar, a Buddhist pilgrimage site. India shares a 1,643-kilometre border with Myanmar and a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal, making the relationship strategically significant for security and border management. The meeting matters because India has long had to balance its ties with Myanmar's military rulers against criticism that engagement can lend legitimacy to the government that emerged from the coup.

Sponsored

Western nations have sought to isolate Myanmar's military leadership since it overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, triggering a crackdown on opponents and a civil war. India's approach is shaped by its border security concerns and its cooperation with Myanmar on intelligence sharing and efforts to counter armed rebel groups. The current visit also highlights the wider regional challenge posed by Myanmar's instability.

The country's military has faced armed resistance since the coup, while neighbouring states have had to manage the spillover effects of conflict, displacement and cross-border security risks. For India, the relationship with Myanmar is not only diplomatic but also tied to security along a long and sensitive frontier. That makes any high-level contact politically significant, especially when the visiting leader is under intense international scrutiny.

What remains unclear is whether the talks will produce any concrete follow-up on trade, defence or border management. It is also not clear how India's engagement will be received by Myanmar opposition groups and rights advocates, who argue that such visits can normalise military rule. The broader question is whether dialogue can influence events inside Myanmar or whether it will simply deepen criticism of India's stance.

#India #Myanmar #NarendraModi #MinAungHlaing #diplomacy

Sponsored