India asks Yangon to act promptly on info on N-E insurgents

Mandalay, Feb 12 : Nursing serious concerns over operations of north-eastern insurgents, India on Sunday asked Myanmar to act promptly on information about their activities in its territory as the two sides agreed on a slew of measures to jointly tackle the menace.

"We stressed the importance of timely action by Myanmar on the information given by us on the insurgents in Myanmar territory," Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju told Indian journalists accompanying Vice President Hamid Ansari who arrived in Mandalay on the last leg of his visit to the country.

A graphic map showing the Indo-Myanmar border along the territory of Manipur

He said while the two countries already have an intelligence-sharing mechanism, what was important was timely and effective action by Myanmar in addressing India's security concerns.

Raju, who was a member of the Indian delegation led by Ansari in the talks with Myanmar's top military generals in the last two days, said India has already helped Myanmar by improving the infrastructure on its side of the border.

The Border Road Organisation (BRO) has upgraded the road on Myanmar territory and provided them with some communication equipment, the minister said.

Ansari, who is on a four-day visit to Myanmar, met head of the country's military junta Gen Than Shwe and other top leaders to give a fresh impetus to security, trade and economic ties between the two countries.

Replying to a question, Raju said there was no discussion on joint or coordinated action by security forces of India and Myanmar against the insurgents.

He said the two countries have agreed on the need for more frequent meetings at the field level to combat the insurgents and maintain peace at the border.

The meetings have been taking place but it was felt by both sides that there should be more frequent meetings between security forces of the two sides, Raju said.

The Minister said the action taken by Myanmar against the insurgents was showing results on the ground and both the sides hoped to keep up the momentum of cooperation on the security front.

India strongly articulated its security interest the talks with Myanmar leaders, he added.

The remarks by Raju assume significance in the wake of reports that northeastern insurgents have begun to move to Myanmar from Bangladesh in the wake of a change of government in that country.

Than Shwe yesterday assured Ansari that Myanmar would not allow its territory to be used by the ultras to target India.

Ansari, who travelled here after offering prayers at the tomb of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in Yangon, will tomorrow inaugurate an optical fibre link between Moreh town and Mandalay.

The Vice President will visit the Mandalay Palace and a pagoda on Monday before returning to Delhi.