Word: burma
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...September 1987, the superstitious General Ne Win who headed the military junta in Burma (renamed Myanmar soon thereafter) banned all high value banknotes that were not divisible by nine. People in a country blighted by years of the junta’s despotism and economic mismanagement lost their savings overnight. This triggered Burma’s first massive uprising, with its indelible image of saffron and red clad monks marching with overturned bowls—a refusal to take alms from the junta or its soldiers amounted to excommunication. On Sept. 18, 1988, the army opened gunfire on a crowd...
...shield the junta from a Security Council resolution. While the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries expressed “revulsion” in a private meeting with the Burmese foreign minister, the refrain for “constructive engagement” followed soon thereafter. Such engagement, since Burma was admitted into ASEAN a decade ago, has overseen one of the worst cases of starvation and disease outside sub-Saharan Africa...
...concern” over the situation, and the chief of Indian Army, General Deepak Kapoor told reporters, “We have a good relationship going with Myanmar and I am sure we will try and maintain that,” and that what happened in Burma was “an internal matter...
Since 2002, when it restored full diplomatic relations with Burma, India has been playing catch up with China for influence over the Burmese regime. It rolled out the red carpet for the current head of the junta, General Than Shwe, in 2004. India’s then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam visited Burma last year to cement relations...
Like China, the Indians want Burma’s oil and gas and its co-operation in combating anti-Indian insurgencies in North-Eastern states. But most importantly, India is jittery at China’s influence over Burma, especially its “string of pearls” policy of establishing bases around the Indian Ocean, including one allegedly on the Burmese island of Great Coco. India has countered this with its own weapon and radar sales, and training for the junta’s military...