The India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral highway will never be completed with the junta in Naypyidaw, particularly in light of the devastating earthquake on March 28.

Guest contributor

Shalini Perumal

The ambitious India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral (IMTT) highway, a 1,400-km-long artery intended to physically connect India with Southeast Asia, has hit a significant roadblock. 

As India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar acknowledged, the ongoing turmoil in Myanmar has forced a pause in the project, casting a shadow over India’s “Act East” policy and raising critical questions about its viability and ethical implications. 

This pause is not merely a logistical setback; it indicates the complex interplay between infrastructure development, regional geopolitics, and humanitarian concerns, particularly in the context of Myanmar’s volatile situation and India’s right-wing Hindutva government’s policies in support of the illegal Myanmar junta.

The IMTT highway, envisioned before the 2021 coup to link Moreh in Manipur, India with Mae Sot in Tak Province of Thailand, via Myanmar, represents a backbone of India’s efforts to deepen its engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which itself has been complicit in directly engaging with the junta in Naypyidaw since the coup. 

It is intended at least as far as political parlance, to catalyse trade and boost economic integration, while also ensuring people-to-people connectivity. 

According to the Indian government, the project’s strategic importance lies in its potential to transform India’s landlocked northeastern states into the vital gateway of Southeast Asia, cultivating regional economic growth and improving India’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.   

However, the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, and the subsequent uprising against it, have created a security vacuum that has severely hampered the highway’s progress. 

The ongoing conflict between the junta and various ethnic armed organisations, coupled with widespread civil unrest, has made construction and maintenance of the highway extremely challenging. 

The security risks to workers and the instability of the region have forced India to reconsider its approach, leading to the current pause.   

Furthermore, the devastating earthquake in Myanmar on March 28  exposes the junta’s incapability to coordinate large scale projects and humanitarian aid. 

The earthquake that recently struck Myanmar and Thailand last month has resulted in a staggering loss of life, with the current death toll exceeding 4,000 people and tragically projected to potentially reach as high as 10,000. 

This immense human tragedy has further highlighted the significant challenges posed by the junta currently in power. Their evident inability and disinterest to effectively organise and distribute crucial humanitarian aid to the affected populations indicates their limited capacity to manage large-scale crises. 

This situation also casts a shadow over the feasibility of undertaking and completing ambitious infrastructure projects, such as the long-awaited IMTT highway, suggesting that progress on such initiatives may face further delays and complications under the current regime.

In a significant diplomatic engagement, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first meeting with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing since the 2021 coup.

This meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit held in Bangkok, saw Modi explicitly advocate for the swift restoration of democratic processes within Myanmar through the implementation of inclusive and credible elections. 

This marks the first instance where India has publicly called for elections in Myanmar at such a high level of leadership. During their discussions, Modi also emphasised the urgent need for an inclusive dialogue aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing civil conflict that continues to plague Myanmar. 

In response to the catastrophic earthquake, he extended an offer to significantly increase India’s provision of aid to support the recovery efforts. 

Furthermore, the Prime Minister urged that the current ceasefire, implemented in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, be formalised into a permanent cessation of hostilities. The earthquake in Myanmar was a central topic of their conversation, with Modi detailing India’s ongoing assistance efforts. 

Min Aung Hlaing reportedly “expressed his gratitude for India’s assistance efforts.” He also stated that the junta intends to hold “free and fair” elections by January, a timeline that has been met with skepticism from critics who fear the elections will be manipulated to legitimize and prolong the military’s grip on power.

India has already taken concrete steps to provide aid, deploying military field hospitals to Mandalay, a city located near the earthquake’s epicenter. Additionally, personnel from India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been dispatched to Myanmar to actively participate in the vital relief operations.

The Myanmar junta leader also attended an official dinner hosted for the leaders of the BIMSTEC member nations. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that disaster management strategies were a key focus of discussions during the BIMSTEC ministerial meetings.

The delay in the IMTT highway project, particularly in the wake of the earthquake, directly impacts the efficacy of India’s “Act East” policy. This policy, aimed at strengthening India’s strategic and economic ties with Southeast Asia, relies heavily on improved connectivity. 

The highway was envisioned as a key facilitator of this connectivity, enabling faster and more efficient movement of goods and people. Its pause not only delays economic integration but also raises questions about India’s ability to deliver on its promises to ASEAN partners for its completion.   

Furthermore, the situation in Myanmar highlights the inherent risks of pursuing infrastructure projects in politically unstable regions. It indicates the need for a more nuanced and flexible approach to regional engagement, one that accounts for the complex dynamics of local politics and security, as well as humanitarian concerns.

The “Act East” policy, while focused on economic and strategic goals, must also address the humanitarian and political dimensions of regional engagement. India might be waking up to this in light of the earthquake.

The ongoing crisis in Myanmar has created a severe humanitarian crisis, with over 3.5 million displaced from their homes, facing violence and food insecurity. 

India’s engagement with the junta, often driven by strategic considerations, has faced criticism from human rights organisations and pro-democracy groups. 

The perception that India is prioritising infrastructure projects over humanitarian concerns risks damaging its reputation as a responsible regional power, if it has not already. 

The junta is illegal, and its actions have been widely condemned by the international community. Continued engagement with it, particularly in the context of projects like the IMTT highway, by the Indian government risks legitimising its rule and undermining efforts to restore democracy in Myanmar. 

This raises ethical questions about India’s role in the region and its commitment to democratic values. The implications of India’s engagement with the junta are far-reaching. 

It impacts not only its relationship with the people of Myanmar but also its standing in the wider international community. Supporting a regime that is accused of widespread human rights abuses contradicts India’s efforts to promote democracy and stability in the region.

So maybe this pause and statement by Prime Minister Modi is welcome and is a step in the right direction.

However, it is not enough. It is essential that the Indian government have a more nuanced approach in its engagement with Myanmar. This approach should prioritise humanitarian concerns and engage with community-based organisations.

The Indian government should first of all increase its humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, focusing on providing aid to displaced people and supporting local organisations working on the ground. This aid should be delivered cross-border through channels that bypass the junta, ensuring that it reaches those who need it most. 

The Indian government can also strengthen its support for pro-democracy movements through diplomatic channels, by engaging with the National Unity Government (NUG) and ethnic armed groups, and by supporting civil society organisations working to promote human rights.  

Community-based organisations play a crucial role in providing essential services and maintaining stability in conflict-affected areas. Engaging with them can help build trust and create a more inclusive approach to regional engagement, not one backed by the junta.   

India must make any engagement with the junta conditional on progress towards restoring democracy and respecting human rights. This could involve setting clear benchmarks for the junta to meet, such as releasing political prisoners and allowing humanitarian access, and ensuring fair democratic elections. 

India can work with other regional and international actors to increase diplomatic pressure on the junta in support of these fair elections in the establishment of a federal democratic system in Myanmar, which would grant greater autonomy to ethnic minority groups and address their long-standing grievances. 

By adopting these policy changes, India can demonstrate its commitment to democracy and human rights while also advancing its strategic interests in the region. This approach would not only help address the immediate challenges posed by the crisis in Myanmar but also contribute to building a more stable region.

The pause in the IMTT highway serves as a reminder of the complexities of regional engagement. It is an example of the need for a more nuanced and ethical approach to India’s “Act East” policy, one that prioritises humanitarian concerns and supports democratic change over strategic ones, as they hold more sustainable value for regional development. 

By engaging with community-based organisations and pro-democracy groups, India can play a more constructive role in promoting stability and prosperity in Myanmar and the wider region. 

The highway project’s future rests on the stability and eventual democratisation of Myanmar, making those goals paramount to India’s long-term regional strategy. The IMTT highway will never be completed with the junta in power, and the government might be coming to terms with that. 

Shalini Perumal is a creative international development professional who has worked previously in Mae Sot, Thailand at Mae Tao Clinic. She is currently a freelance journalist as well as consultant at Finnish Refugee Council Myanmar.

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