Jaishankar meets Myanmar, Thailand ministers, discusses border stability

NEW DELHI: The deteriorating security situation in Myanmar figured in two meetings held by external affairs minister S Jaishankar with his counterparts from Myanmar and Thailand on Thursday, with New Delhi focusing on border stability and humanitarian assistance.

Jaishankar held a trilateral meeting with Thai foreign minister Maris Sangiampongsa and Myanmar foreign minister Than Swe on the sidelines of a Bimstec foreign ministers’ retreat in New Delhi, and also met separately with his Myanmarese counterpart.

The Indian side’s concerns about the security situation in Myanmar have grown since resistance forces launched a coordinated offensive against the junta last October, overrunning hundreds of military bases and taking control of trade routes on the borders with India, Bangladesh and China.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said he and his Thai and Myanmarese counterparts “exchanged views on border stability and humanitarian assistance”. He said countering trans-national crimes, including cyber, narcotics and illegal arms, is a shared priority of the three countries. “We will continue to cooperate in that regard,” he said.

Discussions at the trilateral meeting also focused on connectivity projects that are “crucial for the future of Bimstec”, Jaishankar said.

At the bilateral meeting with Than Swe, who is also the deputy prime minister of Myanmar, Jaishankar shared India’s “concerns regarding border stability and flow of displaced persons”. He said in a separate post on X: “India supports the return to democracy in Myanmar and engages all stakeholders in that regard.”

Jaishankar also raised “illegal narcotics and arms trade and activities of insurgent groups”. He added, “Pressed strongly for the early return of Indians unlawfully detained by cyber scam gangs.”

Over the past two years, Indian nationals have been lured by criminal gangs operating such scams in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Chinese criminal syndicates are believed to be behind what has come to be known as the “pig butchering” scam, which involves online fraudsters convincing people to deposit money into fake platforms.

Earlier, addressing the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) foreign ministers’ retreat, Jaishankar said global and regional developments made it imperative for the grouping’s seven members to “find more solutions amongst ourselves”.

Bimstec, he said, represents the intersection of India’s “Neighbourhood First” and “Act East” policies, which have a specific focus on the Bay of Bengal, “where collaborative potential has long remained underrealised”. The two-day retreat will help prepare strong outcomes for the Bimstec Summit in Thailand later this year.

Jaishankar said on X that discussions at the retreat focussed on strengthening connectivity, institution building, cooperation in trade, collaboration in health and space and digital public infrastructure.

Bimstec brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Jaishankar also held separate meetings Bangladesh foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, Bhutan foreign minister DN Dhungyel, Sri Lankan minister of state for foreign affairs Tharaka Balasuriya, Nepal foreign secretary Sewa Lamsal.