Google – AFP, 14 November 2012
 |
The
invitation to India is an attempt by the government to repair a damaged
relationship with Aung San Suu Kyi (AFP, Raveendran)
|
NEW DELHI —
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
for talks in New Delhi on Wednesday, after warning India not to get carried
away by reforms across its border.
Suu Kyi,
who in the 1960s was a student in New Delhi where her mother served as an
ambassador, is paying her first visit to India in 25 years -- most of which
were spent under military house arrest.
Her
invitation is an attempt by Singh's government to repair a damaged relationship
with Suu Kyi, who was finally freed by the junta in 2010 and led her party to a
landslide victory in parliamentary by-elections in April.
New Delhi
was once one of her staunchest supporters, but changed tack and sought
engagement with the junta in the mid-1990s -- a move that the Nobel peace prize
winner has acknowledged "saddened" her.
Singh
visited Myanmar in May to try to strengthen trade links and counter the
influence of regional rival China. The two governments signed 12 agreements
covering an array of issues including security, trade and transport.
India
shares a 1,640 kilometre (1,020 mile) border with its northeastern neighbour
Myanmar and the two former British colonies have a long shared history.
Suu Kyi's
father General Aung San -- regarded as Myanmar's independence hero -- was a
personal friend of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Suu Kyi
laid a wreath at Nehru's memorial in Delhi on Wednesday morning and will
deliver an annual lecture in his honour later in the day.
Her talks
with Premier Singh were held at his official residence in the Indian capital.
After
meeting Suu Kyi in Myanmar earlier this year and inviting her on a return
visit, Singh said India was "very proud of our longstanding association
with her and members of the family".
Suu Kyi's
release, last year's end to military rule and the prospect of nationwide
elections in 2015 have enabled Myanmar to shed its pariah status in the West
and US President Barack Obama is due to visit next week.
Myanmar's
military-backed President Thein Sein has vowed to put the economy at the centre
of a new wave of reforms following the dramatic political changes.
But in an
interview with The Hindu newspaper, Suu Kyi cautioned India against being
overly optimistic.
"It's
(got) to be able to take a good hard look at what is really happening,"
she told the Indian daily.
"Not
to be over-optimistic, at the same time to be encouraging of what needs to be
encouraged; because I think too much optimism doesn't help because then you
ignore what is going wrong."
Suu Kyi
acknowledged that businesses were keen to tap the opportunities across India's
eastern border in competition with Chinese counterparts but added that
"investment has to be done in the right way".
During the
four-day trip, Suu Kyi is also due to visit parliament and inspect rural
development projects.
On Friday
she will visit the Lady Shri Ram college in New Delhi, where she graduated with
a degree in politics.
Suu Kyi
last visited India in 1987 when she travelled to Simla to join her husband
Michael Aris, who was studying in the picturesque hill station.
Suu Kyi was
unable to see Aris before his death from cancer in Britain in 1999, and missed
seeing her sons grow up.
The
then-ruling junta refused Aris a visa to visit her and Suu Kyi did not attempt
to leave Myanmar during her few periods of freedom because of concerns that she
would never be allowed to return.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.