Skip to content Skip to navigation

New hopes rising in Indo-Myanmar relations

Although delayed, a ray of hope has been seen in better Indo-Myanmar relations with accepting the Indian proposal by Junta government of that country to open Stilwell Road, which will encourage and boost India’s trade with the South-eastern Asian countries, especially with China. The Foreign minister of Myanmar, Nyan Win, has agreed to the request of Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), at a recent meeting in Kolkata to this effect. With the opening of Stilwell Road, distance between India and China via Tenai in Myanmar will be cut to the minimum. The minister informed that China has already constructed road up to Tenai and he has offered to construct the balance part of the road with support of the Indian Government up to the Indian borders. With this gesture the Myanmar seems to have extended hands of friendship with India which is likely to open the doors of better relations between the two countries and resolve the critical issues of gas supply to India.


It may be mentioned in this context that failure to reach a timely understanding between India and Bangladesh led Myanmar to find out a market for gas in China. According to available reports Myanmar and China have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for supply of gas from Myanmar to China. But an official source in Yangon has informed that some new gas fields have been found in Myanmar’s Arakan region near the Bay of Bengal. These fields are spread over the areas of Suu, Suufu and Miya. These fields are discovered by Korea’s oil company, Deud International. Some Indian companies also have some share in it. Deud has 51 percent share and India’s ONGC 18.5 percent, GAIL 8.5 percent.


Soon after the discovery of the gas India had shown interest to import gas from Myanmar. A private company of Bangladesh, namely, Mohna Holding Ltd; sent a proposal to construct pipeline from Myanmar to India via Bangladesh. But Bangladesh did not respond for a long time. Anyhow keeping in mind the crisis of gas in future Bangladesh took interest in the gas pipeline lately.


On the other hand India started search for a new route for pipeline from Myanmar via Mizoram, Tripura, Assam and West Bengal to Kolkata. This route was much expensive. Whereas the pipeline via Bangladesh covers 900 kms and cost Rs.4, 500 crore, this route take 500 kms and Rs.2, 500 crore more. Besides, the risk of safety and security of pipelines from militant activities in Assam and Tripura was great. Due to all these factors, India could not take any decision in this matter.


In due course Myanmar decided to sell its gas to China. In August 2008, Deud International getting permission from Myanmar government signed an agreement with Chinese government’s company, China Petroleum Corporation. Deud and its consortium would spend 5.3 billion dollars on this project. As per agreement china would get gas from this project for 30 years. Gas supply would begin in 2013 and 600 million cubic feet gas would be supplied daily. However, it is expected that in future Myanmar would be ready to supply gas to India also with the increasing production of gas from new fields...

Author info

Daya Nath Singh's picture

Journalist; Guwahati Press Club office Secretary

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

CID filed Louis Berger progress report

25 Aug 2017 - 9:57am | AT News
Finally, the criminal investigation department probing the multi crore Louis Berger kick back scam have submitted its progress before the court triggering the speculation of yet another political...

Modi to visit state on April 17

9 Apr 2014 - 2:44pm | AT News
BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will again visit Assam to campaign for the party candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.The Gujarat Chief Minister is scheduled to visit the state on April...

Himalayan Forest Thrush Dulongjiang  (Photo:  Craig Brelsford)

New species of bird discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

21 Jan 2016 - 10:16pm | Bilwada Kale
A bird species, locally common in eastern Himalaya and overlooked till now, has been identified as a new species. A team of scientists from India, Sweden, China, US and Russia have described this...

Dispur concentrates on small industries

10 Jun 2012 - 12:15am | editor
The failure to beckon mega big ticket investment on industrial front has forced the Assam government to think of the small and cottage industries.Talking to reporters in Guwahati on Saturday, Chief...

Other Contents by Author

Gamusas and Japis are two important items in Assam, which are in much demand throughout the year in the state especially during festival seasons and social functions. These items are demanded by the people to honor the guests and honorable persons during each and every event.  However, it has been found that throughout the festival seasons the supply of locally woven gamusas are not according to demand by the customers. The reason behind it is said to be heavy cost of the locally produced items. On the other hand the weavers and traders from other parts of the country take advantage of supplying gamusas at cheaper rates and make more profit despite spending heavy cost on...
Archaeological Survey of India, Guwahati circle, has been trying to take-up the work of repairing of a broken pillar in the Mandap of Hayagriva Madhav Temple at Hajo for a long time. ASI, Guwahati has informed the media through a press note that one of the pillars of ancient temple was broken in three parts due to rusting of the iron dowels holding each other and the other developed cracks due to the same reason and widened more after the earthquake of May 2015. Hayagriva Madhav Temple is a reconstructed temple during the Koch period. The architectural parts of the earlier temple have been used for reconstruction. Different parts of the temple have been used randomly for making the pillars...
There is a generation gap between the signing of Assam Accord on the Independence Day 1985 and the present generation has to face new challenges to compete with the world class people in all spheres of development. The young people are confused over the airing of old issues which have lasted for long 31 years in absence of any solution. The issues pertaining to the Accord have become irrelevant under the present circumstances. The Assam Accord issue is still haunting and confusing the present generation due to absence of a clear picture. The fate of the Accord is not known to the people in general. A few politicians and intellectuals are trying to raise the issues of the accord from time to...
It is an established fact that a person involved in political activities cannot remain in peace till his cherished dreams are fulfilled. This can be noticed through the recent statements of former Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, who has been expressing his views frequently in media against the four months old BJP-led alliance government in the state under the chief minister ship of Sarwanand Sonowal.  He (Gogoi) dares to demand a ‘white paper’ from state government about the steps taken by it to clear the encroachments of forest and other government  lands in the state and also to let the people of the state know, what action it has taken to identify and deport the foreign...
Addressing a huge gathering of residents of Udaypur, Jonakpur and Birubari at Udaypur Kali Mandir complex on Sunday, July 3, 2016, East Guwahati Assembly Member, Siddharth Bhattacharjee, emphasized the need of implementing the vision document of development as envisaged by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at the function organized by Udaypur Yuva Sangha to felicitate him on his success in the recently concluded polls to the state Assembly, he conveyed his thanks to the people of the area for showing their confidence in him. He assured the people that he would not let their confidence go in vain. The meeting was presided over by Dr Phani Borah. Senior citizen of the locality Kartik...
Hardly a few days ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Alliance has taken the reign of Assam administration the results of efforts made by Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi to bring back black money to the state coffer, has started recently with the arrest of Dhemaji Divisional Forest Officer, Mahat Chandra Talukdar by anti-corruption department. For a long time the reports of wildlife crimes were in the air, but the previous state administration ruled by Congress Party under the three-terms  leadership of Tarun Gogoi did not try to take any action. The former Chief Minister Gogoi was under a wrong impression that the people who gave him a...
A study conducted by B Boruah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, has revealed that during a decade from 2001-02 to 2011-12, cancer cases in the north-eastern part of the country have gone up from 5,404 to 8,708. A campaign, namely, Cycle 4 ride can help control this dreaded disease. In order to raise awareness to fight cancer a lady, namely, Marcellna Sangma, is going to lead a Biker Mission to 600 kms long stretch from Guwahati to Bum La Pass, near Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh. The ride is scheduled to be flagged off by Dr Amar Chandra Kataki, Director, B Boruah Cancer Institute, on April 21, 2016.Expressing her traumatic experience with cancer, Sangma, who was a cancer patient a decade...
Being disturbed since the first phase of polling for Assam Assembly on April 4 last, the Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi is finding it difficult to remember the history of Assam agitation propelled by All Assam Students Union (AASU) since the year 1979 to the Independence Day of 1985, resulting in the Assam Accord which was signed between the Assam Government and the movement leaders in presence of erstwhile prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi. Heavy polling beyond 85 percent of the electorate in the second phase also made Gogoi to think over the majority of young and new voters were not the ‘beneficiaries of getting blankets, yarn and mosquito nets’. They are young, energetic, literate and...
Continuing campaigns for Assam Assembly elections have confused the Assam intellectuals to raise vital issues before the future state legislators and improve the quality of political atmosphere affecting the entire society for quite some time. Almost all political parties have started ‘derogatory’ comments against their rivals for attracting the electorates by their acts and objectives about which they are themselves ignorant. The main reason behind such interpretation is lack of knowledge about the real issues on which the political parties are campaigning. Assam as a state of multi-lingual and religious people continued to be disturbed since the year1979, when several organizations under...
Long awaited North East Graduate Congress, an initiative of Education Research Development Foundation (ERDF) is going to be held from February 26 to 28, 2016. This is the only graduate congress in India being organized by University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) in association with RIST and supported by the State Bank of India (SBI). The venue of the congress is the USTM campus at 9th mile, Khanapara. Addressing the media persons in Guwahati on February 14, 2016, the USTM spokesperson informed that the three days congress is aimed to enhance all round development and bring out the capabilities of future graduates through various life skill processes to bring out  their...