Burma opens up

A few years ago when Burma moved its capital from Rangoon to Naypyidaw,the screen of secrecy and rumoured superstition served to confirm the worst fears about the intentions of the countrys inscrutable generals. The shift of the seat of official power from Rangoon,once among Asias most diverse and bustling cities but still carrying memories of the traders,fortune-hunters and aesthetes whod congregate there,to a new planned city of strictly monitored zones was seen to a be a definitive signal of the isolationism being entrenched. Naypyidaws development is still far from complete,and President Thein Sein has made a series of gestures to reach out to his political opposition and to the global community. Indeed,with Aung San Suu Kyis party confirming her intention to fight a by-election and the US reaching out by announcing it is sending its highest-ranking official in 50 years to Burma,an openness is clearly visible.

None of this has happened overnight,but the political and diplomatic breakthroughs represent a tipping point that must be welcomed. Burmas people have long suffered the consequences of both their militarys heavy hand and the suffocating sanctions imposed by the West. The introduction of political reform,with Suu Kyis release from confinement followed by release of political prisoners and easing of censorship,is welcome especially for India,which has walked a tightrope of engaging the generals and doing business with Burma,for humanitarian and strategic reasons,while iterating its continued support for democratic reform. Nonetheless,there has been a sense that the India-Burma relationship has,for the past couple of decades especially,not realised its potential based on geography and history. This is a definitive moment and Delhi must welcome and support Burmas transition.

This is also a moment rich with the possibility of Burma breaking away from Chinas clasp. To the extent that the way Burma does business is made more transparent and decision-making bears the stamp of a government answerable to its people,relaxation of Chinas significant hold on the country is welcome. But for India,it would be shortsighted to see the possibilities rife in Burma as being about a zero-sum rivalry with China. Indeed,Delhi must welcome inputs from all stakeholders in Burmas move towards political stability and economic prosperity.