Causes of the adjustments on Myanmar’s foreign policy regarding India after 1991

Abstract

India and Myanmar are neighboring countries with close relations throughout history. The two countries signed a Friendship Treaty in 1951. However, under Prime Minister Ne Win’s administration (1962-1988), the relationship between the two countries was frozen. From the middle of 1988 to 1990, relations between the two countries deteriorated when India made efforts to resist the brutal repression of Myanmar’s army against the democratic uprisings. At the same time, Myanmar was surrounded and embargoed by Western counties. Since then, Myanmar has recognized the need for a change in foreign policy to overcome its isolation and to better integrate with the world’s development. The adjustment of Myanmar’s policy towards India is recognized as part of that change. By clarifying the adjustments in Myanmar’s foreign policy towards India, this article will explain the reasons for these adjustments.