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The Diplomat this week published an article on links between Chinese intelligence services and northeast Indian rebel groups, particularly the NSCN(IM). It has been alleged that agents of Chinese intelligence services have done arms deals with the NSCN(IM) and that the NSCN(IM) has established a permanent presence in Kunming, Yunnan Province. The Kunming representative acts as broker and passes on information about Indian armed forces activities in Arunachal Pradesh, a state China claims as its own.
The comments on the article make for interesting reading as well.
The Diplomat article draws heavily on an earlier article published in Outlook India.
Dhaka's The Daily Star yesterday ran an opinion piece from the Centre of Policy Dialogue in the wake of the 9th Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) forum held in January in Kunming, China, on the importance of that forum. The BCIM focuses on connectivity and trade facilitation between China's Yunnan province, India's northeast, Bangladesh and Burma.
The BCIM has traditionally been a track II forum, but with three of the four countries' delegations this year led by a government representative, it seems to be transitioning to track I (ie. government official) level. A recent blog entry on the Australian National University's South Asia Masala argues that track II is likely to be a more effective level of cooperation for the BCIM given the current state of India-China relations.
The Centre of Policy Dialogue is Bangladesh's BCIM focal point.
The Times of India reported earlier this month that arrested United National Liberation Front (UNLF) leader Meghen has confirmed to Indian authorities that Paresh Buruah, leader of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), is residing in China.
ULFA is one of the best known separatist groups in northeast India. It seeks an independent, socialist Assam.
UNLF is the oldest Meitei insurgent group in Manipur. It aims to achieve an independent, socialist Manipur.
Asia Times Online today reports that the Stilwell, or Ledo, Road is set to be restored with the Burmese Government's award of a contract to a Chinese company to reconstruct a 312 km section of the road from Myitkyina in Burma to the Pangsau Pass on the Indo-Burmese border.
Running 1736 km from Ledo in Assam's east to Kunming in China's Yunnan province through Burma and Arunachal Pradesh, the Stillwell Road was built during World War II. China is reportedly most enthusiastic about the road although each on India, Burma and China stand to benefit from its restoration.
Update (10/2): India apparently still has some reservations about constructing its portion of the Ledo Road. The BBC ran a story yesterday quoting an unnamed Indian foreign ministry official saying a decision is yet to be made and that factors such as "possible dumping of Chinese products" and "security of trade envoys" must be taken into account.
As with many of the United States cables being progressively published by Wikileaks, a cable released this week on India's relationship with Burma reinforces conclusions already drawn by interested onlookers rather than offering anything revelatory. The cable, dated 2 November 2004, reports on a meeting with a senior Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bureaucrat in the wake of visit to New Delhi by Burmese military junta leader Than Shwe.
It states that India does not believe insurgents on the Indo-Burmese border are receiving support from the Burmese government as that would not be in its "strategic interests" and moreover that Burma's military build up on that border is not directly in its own interests but is rather a symptom of the increased interdependence of Indian and Burmese interests in the region. India's concerns about Chinese influence in Burma are also laid bare in the cable.
