NEW DELHI- -U. S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently issued a joint statement of "expressing deep concern about the deteriorating situation in Myanmar," calling for constructive dialogue to help help the country transition to an inclusive federal democracy. Unfortunately, U. S. -led sanctions policies have undercut this goal and made the situation worse.
Western sanctions, while causing pain to ordinary Myanmar's citizens, are relatively unharmed to the ruling military elite, leaving the junta no incentive to relax its political control. The main beneficiary is China, which has expanded its foothold in a country it sees as a strategic gateway to the Indian Ocean and an important source of natural resources.
This development trend has intensified the regional security challenges. For example, Chinese military personnel are now helping to build a surveillance station on Myanmar's Grand cocoa Island, home to the Indian military's only three-service command, north of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Once operational, the new spy station could assist China in its maritime surveillance of India, including monitoring nuclear submarine movements and tracking tests of missiles often landed in the Bay of Bengal.