Myanmar became a sovereign nation again after regaining independence from colonialists on 4 January 1948.
Actually,Myanmar was an independent and sovereign nation with its own monarchs since third Century BC with the establishment of such city states as Beikthano,Hanlin,Thuwunna Bommi,Tagaung,Vesali,Srikestra,etc.
History has it that Myanmar was able to stand tall among the world nations as the first Myanmar under the leadership of King Anawratha(1044-1077) in Bagan Period,as the second Myanmar under the leadership of King Bayintnaung in Bagan Period,as the second Myanmar under the leader ship of King Bayintnaung(1551-1581)in Toungoo period and as the third Myanmar under the leadership of King Alaungphayar (1752-1761)in Konbaubg Period.
Actually,Myanmar was an independent and sovereign nation with its own monarchs since third Century BC with the establishment of such city states as Beikthano,Hanlin,Thuwunna Bommi,Tagaung,Vesali,Srikestra,etc.
History has it that Myanmar was able to stand tall among the world nations as the first Myanmar under the leadership of King Anawratha(1044-1077) in Bagan Period,as the second Myanmar under the leadership of King Bayintnaung in Bagan Period,as the second Myanmar under the leader ship of King Bayintnaung(1551-1581)in Toungoo period and as the third Myanmar under the leadership of King Alaungphayar (1752-1761)in Konbaubg Period.
In the course of history all the national brethren were able to solve and surmount any crisis and difficulty occurred in the nation at the risk of their lives through unity and cooperation,sharing joy and sorrow.They were able to do so in the face of dangers at home and abroad.
Although Myanmar is situated between the two most populous nations namely India and China that enjoy high civilizations,it has been able to preserve and safeguard its own tradition,customs and national character in successive eras.
In the 19th Century the colonialists occupied the Indian region,then waged three aggressive wars on Myanmar and occupied it.Another intention of colonialists who occupied Myanmar was to enter China through Myanmar from the rear of the former.
At that time,European colonialist traders were eager to occupy Myanmar so that they could use it as their market .History shows the British colonialists had the intention to enter China through Myanmar making better use of Ayeyarwady River and then land route,for they had to take time if they passed Malacca Straits and South China Sea.
It can be found that during the WWII the US and its allied forces constructed Ledo Highway linking India,Myanmar and China in a desperate manner.The 1,726km long road originated from Ledo of Assam State of India and ended in Kunming of Yunnan Provience of the People's Republic of China passing through Myitkyina of Kachin State of Myanmar.It was a main transport and communication route for the US and its allied troops during the war.
It can be assessed that the geographical condition of Myanmar made her to be politically strategic. Myanmar is situated in the Asian Contient and is contiguous with inner regions of the contient in the north-west and north.In the east of the nation,there lie South-east Asia and East Asia.In the west and south,lie the Bay of Bengal,Mottama Gulf and the Andman Sea.
Although Myanmar is situated between the two most populous nations namely India and China that enjoy high civilizations,it has been able to preserve and safeguard its own tradition,customs and national character in successive eras.
In the 19th Century the colonialists occupied the Indian region,then waged three aggressive wars on Myanmar and occupied it.Another intention of colonialists who occupied Myanmar was to enter China through Myanmar from the rear of the former.
At that time,European colonialist traders were eager to occupy Myanmar so that they could use it as their market .History shows the British colonialists had the intention to enter China through Myanmar making better use of Ayeyarwady River and then land route,for they had to take time if they passed Malacca Straits and South China Sea.
It can be found that during the WWII the US and its allied forces constructed Ledo Highway linking India,Myanmar and China in a desperate manner.The 1,726km long road originated from Ledo of Assam State of India and ended in Kunming of Yunnan Provience of the People's Republic of China passing through Myitkyina of Kachin State of Myanmar.It was a main transport and communication route for the US and its allied troops during the war.
It can be assessed that the geographical condition of Myanmar made her to be politically strategic. Myanmar is situated in the Asian Contient and is contiguous with inner regions of the contient in the north-west and north.In the east of the nation,there lie South-east Asia and East Asia.In the west and south,lie the Bay of Bengal,Mottama Gulf and the Andman Sea.
In the north,there are China with a population of about 1,300 million,India with a population of about 1,100 million and Bangladesh with a population of over 140 million.In the east,lies Laos and in the south-east,lies Thailand with a population of over 65 million.
The boundary of the nation is about 5200 miles long,of them over 3,800 miles are shared with the neighbouring countries-1,357 miles with PRC,857 miles with India,152 miles with Bangladesh,128 miles with Laos and 1,314 miles with Thailand.
Being strategically located close to the big nations,the most important national interest for Myanmar is to ensure the perpetual existence of independence and sovereignty.Likewise,each and every nation is to be well aware of giving top priority to the national interest.
The lifeblood of a nation is sovereignty.Legislative power,executive power and judical power which are the sovereignty must be in the hands of the people of the particular nation.If the three branches of power fall into the hands of a certain foreign nation directly or indirectly the nation concerned is meant to be initiated into slavery indirectly under neo-colonialism.
A glance at the time of Myanmar's regaining independence will reveal that shortly after the end of the WWII(1945)the cold war broke out as a result of rivalry of isms between the East Bloc and the West Bloc.At that time,Myanmar practised the independent and active foreign policity in order that it would be able to stay away from any international crisis but to stand by the truth.
During the cold war period there was no world war.However,the Korea war that broke out in the 1950-1951 brought the world community to the brink of war.During that period,the CIA provided the remnant Chinese nationalists with arms and enabled them to take stronghold in Myanmar with the aim of attacking the Chinese Communist Party that established the PRC.The Myanma Tatmadaw had to ward off the incursion of the Chinese nationalists and lodged a complaint with the United Nations in that regard.The Tatmadaw had to drive the Chinese nationalists out of the nation up to 1961.Consequently,Myanmar still has to face internal insurgency and dangers of narcotic drugs as evil legacy of the nationalist Chinese.
Under these circumstances,Myanmar,China and India signed the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence in June 1954.The Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence are;
1.Mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty
2.Non-aggression
3.Non-interference in one another's internal affairs
4.Equality and mutual benefit
5.Peaceful co-existence
At that time,the South East Asian Treaty Organization-SEATO signed by the US,Britain,France,Australia,New Zealand,Pakistan,Thailand and the Philippines emerged.Myanmar is sticking to the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.The five principles are the fundamental principles of 118 nonaligned countries today.The Non-Aligned Movement was born out of Afro-Asian conference that was held in Bandung of Indonesia in 1955.Myanmar was a founder of the NAM.
The localized wars that broke out in South-East Asia region spread to Vietnam in the early 1960s.During that period,the nation saw a series of activities in which certain groups tried to secede from the Union and join the SEATO.
However,Myanmar had been able to solve its internal problems with internal forces.Myanmar without accepting any external interference had also been able to address any matters caused by the instigation of external elements in accord with the wishes of the people.This reflects the perpetuation of sovereignty of the nation.
Myanmar paid serious attention to perpetuation of sovereignty since 1971,shifting from the practice of independent and non-aligned foreign policy to the practice of independent and active foreign policy. The Tatmadaw government which assumed the State responsibilities on 18 September 1988 continued practising the independent and active foreign policy and has been dealing with neighbouring countries,countries of the region and the international community with a sense of good neighbourliness and friendship.
Myanmar became a member of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in July 1997.In December 1997,it became a member of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation(BIMSTEC).This has enabled Myanmar to become politically and economically strategic between South-East Asian region and South Asian region.
Further strengthening friendly ties between the PRC and India will contribute much to economic development and the process of transition to democracy in Myanmar.As regards the policy of India towards Myanmar,the Indian Minister of External Affairs said that having close geography,culture,tradition and national character in common,Myanmar and India were able to pave the way for cooperation in various sectors.
Similarly,the PRC gave a helping hand to Myanmar for the economic development and the process of transition to democracy taking a stand not interfering in the Myanmar's internal affairs.
In the meantime,the PRC and India are further strengthening cooperation in various sectors in the interest of 2,400 million peoples of theirs as well as those of Asia and the world,thereby surely bringing peace,stability and development to Myanmar.
The re-emergence of the Ledo Highway linking India,Myanmar and PRC built during the WWII for military purpose has contributed to development of economic and social sectors of the three countries that unanimously signed the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existecce.
In 2007,a ceremony to open the 176 km long road section linking Yunnan Province of PRC and Myitkyina of Kachin State of Myanmar was held at Kanpaikti bordering PRC and Myanmar.The Chinese government disbursed RMB 1.23 billion on loan to Myanmar and two-thirda of the loan will be used in construction of the road section in Myanmar.Likewise,the road section linking India and Myanmar is now reconstructed.
All in all,as Myanmar is imbued with a sense of good neighbourliness and friendship based on justice,amity and peaceful co-existence,neighbouring countries always hold her sovereignty and independence in high regard.
Myanmar paid serious attention to perpetuation of sovereignty since 1971,shifting from the practice of independent and non-aligned foreign policy to the practice of independent and active foreign policy. The Tatmadaw government which assumed the State responsibilities on 18 September 1988 continued practising the independent and active foreign policy and has been dealing with neighbouring countries,countries of the region and the international community with a sense of good neighbourliness and friendship.
Myanmar became a member of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in July 1997.In December 1997,it became a member of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation(BIMSTEC).This has enabled Myanmar to become politically and economically strategic between South-East Asian region and South Asian region.
Further strengthening friendly ties between the PRC and India will contribute much to economic development and the process of transition to democracy in Myanmar.As regards the policy of India towards Myanmar,the Indian Minister of External Affairs said that having close geography,culture,tradition and national character in common,Myanmar and India were able to pave the way for cooperation in various sectors.
Similarly,the PRC gave a helping hand to Myanmar for the economic development and the process of transition to democracy taking a stand not interfering in the Myanmar's internal affairs.
In the meantime,the PRC and India are further strengthening cooperation in various sectors in the interest of 2,400 million peoples of theirs as well as those of Asia and the world,thereby surely bringing peace,stability and development to Myanmar.
The re-emergence of the Ledo Highway linking India,Myanmar and PRC built during the WWII for military purpose has contributed to development of economic and social sectors of the three countries that unanimously signed the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existecce.
In 2007,a ceremony to open the 176 km long road section linking Yunnan Province of PRC and Myitkyina of Kachin State of Myanmar was held at Kanpaikti bordering PRC and Myanmar.The Chinese government disbursed RMB 1.23 billion on loan to Myanmar and two-thirda of the loan will be used in construction of the road section in Myanmar.Likewise,the road section linking India and Myanmar is now reconstructed.
All in all,as Myanmar is imbued with a sense of good neighbourliness and friendship based on justice,amity and peaceful co-existence,neighbouring countries always hold her sovereignty and independence in high regard.
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