India, Myanmar Reaffirm Commitment to Stronger Strategic Partnership

New Delhi has doubled down on its engagement with Myanmar's embattled military junta, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosting U Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the State Administration Council, for talks yesterday. The high-profile visit, reaffirming commitment to deeper strategic ties, underscores India's precarious balancing act between its "Neighbourhood First" policy and the international community's condemnation of the junta's brutal crackdown on dissent. This reaffirmation comes as Myanmar's internal conflict intensifies, with the junta losing significant ground to a coalition of Ethnic Armed Organizations and People's Defense Forces, particularly in border regions critical to India's security and "Act East" ambitions. New Delhi's focus on accelerating crucial connectivity projects, notably the long-delayed Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, reflects a pragmatic push to secure strategic infrastructure and address rising cross-border insurgency and drug trafficking threatening India's Northeast. Observers will closely watch for tangible progress on the ground, especially regarding the operationalization and security of these connectivity initiatives amidst ongoing instability. India's strategy signals a continued prioritization of its strategic interests – border stability, counter-insurgency efforts, and countering increasing Chinese influence – over Western democratic ideals, a stance likely to draw renewed scrutiny from human rights advocates and international bodies.