Round The World
New
Delhi, 4 November 2014
India-ASEAN
Bonhomie
LAND
CONNECTIVITY CRITICAL
By Ashok B
Sharma
India’s intention for
engagement with the ASEAN has primarily been for trade and integration of the
economy, more particularly for the benefit of its remote north-eastern region. India has
struck free trade agreements in goods and services with ASEAN. Though the
overall results have been encouraging, it has not reached its potential level.
The reason being that full land route connectivity between the north-eastern
States and Myanmar and rest
of south-east Asia has not yet been achieved
to bring home the full benefits of its engagement with ASEAN.
Importantly, the progress has been
rather slow compared to the connectivity drive by China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi
needs to take up the land connectivity issue at the India-ASEAN Summit slated
in Nay Pyi Taw in the second week of this month.
More so, as the axis of economic
activity has shifted to the India-Pacific region, described by the US as a “pivot”
and hence it intends to play a rebalancing role in the region. The ASEAN
nations have decided to form an economic community in 2015. Myanmar, which
is in a transition phase to democracy, is set to have a new democratic order
after polls in 2015. Keeping in view the possible developments in the region, New Delhi had earlier formulated North East Vision
Document 2020 that includes plans for land route connectivity with Myanmar and
beyond. It has set up its mission to ASEAN in Jakarta with a separate ambassador to take
forward its multi-faceted relations with this grouping.
Myanmar is north-east India’s gateway
to ASEAN. Both India and Myanmar have a
1643 km long border between them and also share a long maritime boundary. Likewise,
Myanmar is well-connected
with Yunnan province in China. There is
a flourishing trade at Muse-Jiagao border trading point. In 2012-13 Myanmar’s exports to China
was $1584 million while China’s
export to Myanmar
was $1153 million. Compared to this, officially recorded trade between India and Myanmar through border trade points
at Moreh and Zokhawthar was only $6.5 million in 2012-13. Much of the trade is
through unofficial channels and some through allowed barter trade arrangement
where about 23 commodities are allowed.
The trading point has three gates
for entry and exit of vehicles for different purposes. Gate no 1 is for
passenger vehicles, small goods vehicles and for people crossing either sides.
Gate no 2 allows passage of people with baggage or headloads but not with
vehicles. Gate no 3 is for heavy trucks carrying goods.
Myanmar citizens are allowed to
go into China
within 90 km radius from the border with a temporary passport and stay for six
to seven days. Chinese citizens are allowed to come into Myanmar up to
105 mile zone which is seven miles from Muse.
Muse Border Trade Inspection Zone is
a vast 48-acre site set up in 2006. Customs, immigration, police and revenue
authorities all have their offices under one roof. There are facilities for
warehouses and cold storages and a border rice market and a fishery market. A
yearly China-Myanmar Border Trade Fair is held alternately on either side of
the border since 2001. Most of Myanmar
traders have opened Yuan accounts in Chinese banks across the border. Muse
branch of Myanmar Economic Bank issues draft payable in Yuan. There are number
of money exchangers at the border. Hence business transaction is not a problem.
Few factories have been set up for processing bulk imports of many items from China.
Muse on the Myanmar side is located about 112 miles from
Lashio, the main town in northern Shan
State. Lashio in turn is 165
miles north of Mandalay.
Much of the road from Mandalay
goes over hilly terrain with winding lanes and the average time taken to cover
the whole distance is over 12 hours by truck. The road is doubled land. Though
landslides are regular features in Lashio-Muse segment, efforts are made to
clear the debris.
Another example of cross country
connectivity is pipelines from Kyaukphyu to Yunan province in China for
supply of gas and crude petroleum products. China has made its presence in
Kyaukphyu Economic and Technological Development Zone, deep sea port and
railway project. It intends to take lease of Great
Coco Island
close to India’s
Andaman & Nicobar Islands as part of its Maritime Silk Route plan and presence in
India-Pacific.
However, India has not yet been able to
develop Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Manipur at Moreh-Tamu trading point at
India-Myanmar border over 45 acre land since the setting up of Land Ports
Authority in 2012. Tamu-Kalay-Kalewa road has been built with Indian assistance,
India has agreed to rebuild
71 bridges and upgrade 120 km Kalewa-Yagi segment while Myanmar would upgrade the 65-km Yagi-Monywa
segment by 2015 which would ultimately ensure connectivity from Imphal to Mandalay. This will help
realize the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral connectivity with remaining gaps
near Mae Sot in Thailand,
with other roads leading to Laos.
The Trilateral Highway
is expected to operationalise by 2016.
But India needs to gear up its internal
connectivity of Manipur with the rest of north-eastern States and lay the
Jiribam-Imphal railway track and establish rail connectivity between Imphal and
Kalay. Another identified border trade point at India-Myanmar border is
Zokhawthar-Rhi. India has
agreed to build the 80 km Rhi-Tiddim road in Myanmar. It would be important to
get Myanmar to upgrade the
Tiddim-Kalay road so that this could then provide a seamless link to Mandalay from Mizoram.
Kaladan Multi-modal Transit
Transport Project is one of highest significance. Its implementation began in
2010. The road segment of the project has not kept to schedule, but is expected
to progress along with the water component of the project. New Delhi has decided to set its consulate in
Sittwe. There are plans for setting up a Land Customs Station at Zorinpuri on
the Kaladan project route to handle goods from Indian ports through Sittwe and
facilitate trade between north-eastern States like Mizoram, Tripura and lower Assam with Chin and Rakhine states of Myanmar.
Starting with Pangsau pass in Arunachal Pradesh, India
has plans to set up 10 border haats
(local markets) along the Myanmar
border. There is also a need to revive the old connectivity of Arunachal
Pradesh with Myanmar
– the Stilwell Road.
New Delhi is working with Myanmar to
operationalise an Imphal-Mandalay bus service. A project for a road from the
Mizoram border at Rhi to Tiddim is also slated to be taken up.
Air connectivity too is important.
National carrier Air India has bi-weekly services from Kolkata to Yangon with
frequency rising to three flights a week during Buddhist pilgrim season
(October-March) when these flights gets extended to Bodh Gaya. Air flights
should also connect Imphal and Mandalay.
Flights from Aizawal to Kalemyo and Mandalay
would further ensure connectivity.
Myanmar is a key member of the
CLMV group – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar
and Vietnam.
The group are partners in the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation through which India undertakes development projects in the Mekong’s lower reaches. More stress should be given to
activate the BIMSTEC group – Bangladesh,
India, Bhutan, Nepal,
Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand – for ensuring
connectivity with ASEAN. Bangladesh Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina had proposed
all-round connectivity among north-eastern India,
Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan
and Myanmar.
India must echo the same
instead of pursuing the BCIM—Bangladesh,
China, India and Myanmar
corridor as proposed by Beijing.
Sooner the better. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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