How India shut down the media over Burmese visit

Burma’s new president, a former general called Thein Sein, flew out of Delhi this past weekend, concluding a four-day visit which saw the relationship between the two countries further cemented with a series of new deals and written agreements. Among the highlights referred to in the joint statement issued by the countries, was an undertaking to speed up construction of natural gas pipelines, increased cooperation over energy exploration and an offer from India for a $500m line of credit.

The timing of the red-carpet visit came at a hugely significant time. The day Thein Sein arrived in India at Bodh Gaya, it emerged that more than 6,000 prisoners had been released from Burma’s jails, among them 200 political prisoners. The step was the latest in a series of measures by the president, including the relaxing of media controls and the suspension of work on a controversial dam project, that have led many to believe he represents a genuinely new chapter in Burma’s political history and a crucial step on the journey towards democracy.

Despite the importance of the visit, there was little coverage in the Indian media. Those reports that did appear were largely superficial and seemed to echo the views of the Indian foreign ministry. (One in The Hindu newspaper appeared particularly inspired by a briefing given to the media by the ministry’s spokesman) But can hardly blame the Indian media alone; as one Delhi-based journalist said to me, the trip was difficult to cover as there were no press conferences, no public statements and very few opportunities to obtain the all-important soundbite. [This purported quote in the Hindustan Times may be Thein Sein's only public utterance.]

For all the talk about the measures recently undertaken by Thein Sein, it was clear the Burmese visitors had no wish to be scrutinised by the media, apart from having their photographs taken and being filmed praying at temples [see picture above] and arriving at the president’s official residence for a state banquet. Perhaps that was not so surprising. Burma’s new leader, after all, was only appointed after an election that would not have been considered fair anywhere else in the world and whilst the main opposition candidate was under house arrest and prevented from taking part. Whatever slight steps of moderation Thein Sein may have taken, he clearly does not represent the will of the people, his country remains a dictatorship and it’s hardly a shock that he may not yet feel ready to open himself up to the media.

What was surprising, was the readiness of the Indian authorities to go along with this. There was a time when India was a staunch supporters of the Burmese opposition and its iconic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was once a student in Delhi. But those days are long gone. As far back as 2004, Indian officials were telling foreign diplomats that they considered Ms Suu Kyi’s time had “come and gone”. These days, securing energy deals and countering the influence of China, appear to take precedence over the promotion of democracy. [It's pretty much the same relationship the UK and US have with countries such as Saudi Arabia.]

So if, the Burmese did not want to be scrutinised by the media and asked about human rights issues (as well as the visit itself), India was happy to accommodate. I suppose it also saved Indian officials having to explain why they were doing deals with a country that still keeps hundreds of prisoners of conscience behind bars. In the joint statement issued by the two countries, India “congratulated the President of Myanmar on the transition towards democratic Government”. That was it. No talk of human rights, no talk of the prisoners, no talk of the repression of ethnic miniorities. As Ben Rogers of East Asia director for Christian Solidarity World, told The National newspaper: ”This totally uncritical attitude to Myanmar is really a lose-lose situation for India.”

I attended four events on Thein Sein’s agenda, three of them in Bodh Gaya, the site of Buddha’s enlightenment and a pilgrimage site for Buddhists from across the world. At one of these I got as far as saying, “Sir, could you spare a moment for a question from the media”, before I was confronted by a senior member of India’s Intelligence Bureau who prevented any further interaction. At two subsequent events, the Bihar Special Force police told me their job was to step me from speaking to the president. When I asked how it was the job of the security personnel to harass the media, I was told by one officer that I was a potential security risk because he could not be sure “I wouldn’t try and slap” the president.

The fourth event was on Saturday morning at a field centre operated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in Delhi, Thein Sein’s final engagement before leaving India and part of his official schedule. The institute’s officials were welcoming and friendly, the Delhi police were not. In this instance, The Independent was physically pushed from the event by the police, with no explanation. It may have been that my crime in the eyes of Indian and Burmese officials was to have been standing next to a reporter from the Press Trust of India, who tried to asked Thein Sein a question about cooperation between India and Burma on agriculture. [He did not bother to reply. It may be his translator did not translate the question for him.]

Given the often life-threatening peril and difficulties journalists in this part of the world regularly face while doing their jobs, Saturday morning’s incident can count only as the merest of inconveniences. But it was insightful as to how, even in India, where freedom of the media is a much-celebrated right, there are limits to how far this goes, especially when it may dare “embarrass” a VIP guest from a military dictatorship. As one of the guests at the institute, who witnessed what happened to me, said: “The president of Myanmar has brought a piece of Myanmar with him to India.”

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