India rushes aid to Myanmar
By Bappa Majumdar
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India rushed relief and medical supplies to
cyclone-hit Myanmar on Monday, underscoring warming ties between the
two neighbours.
Hundreds of labourers were loading food items, blankets, clothing and
tents into two naval ****ps at ****t Blair, the capital of Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, a spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA) said.
"The ****ps will sail as soon as possible and any time now," he said.
A Myanmar-based diplomat told Reuters the country's military junta
estimated at least 10,000 people died and 3,000 were missing after the
cyclone hit the Irrawaddy delta on Saturday.
The Indian foreign ministry said in a statement that, "in keeping with
India's historical, close and good neighbourly ties with the friendly
people of Myanmar, the government of India is providing immediate
relief assistance to Myanmar.
India has economic and military ties with Myanmar. It is competing
with China for access to Myanmar's oil and gas and in return has
promised to build infrastructure.
Last month, India signed an agreement to build a multimillion-dollar
sea****t and improve roads and waterways inside Myanmar.
The deal will give India a foothold on the Myanmar city of Sittwe, on
an island near the mouth of the Kaladan river, which will become the
onshore hub of Myanmar's gas industry once vast reserves in the Shwe
fields in the Bay of Bengal are developed.
India began improving relations with Myanmar after Bangladesh, which
sits between the Indian mainland and its far-flung northeast, refused
India transit facilities.
Analysts said India's move to quickly send relief to Myanmar would
help relations further.
"I think this gesture will off course improve relations between the
two countries further ... which at the moment is very good," said Mira
Sinha Bhattacharjea, former director of the Institute of Chinese
Studies in New Delhi.
India's prime minister, president and all senior officials sent
condolence messages to the military rulers, an MEA spokesman said.
"They also conveyed India's readiness to provide immediate emergency
relief and help Myanmar in rebuilding."
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