‘Pained to See Mother of Democracy Host Century's Worst Dictator’: Myanmar Refugees in India

New Delhi: With the Delhi police detaining and preventing Myanmar refugees from protesting Burmese president and former junta leader Min Aung Hlaing's visit to India, an organiser of yesterday's foiled protests said that the community is “deeply pained to see the mother of democracy welcome the 21st century's worst dictator”.

Myanmar refugees and their supporters said the police detained them as they gathered in the city's Janakpuri and Vikaspuri neighbourhoods, preventing them from travelling to Jantar Mantar Road to carry out a demonstration against Ming Aung Hlaing and his regime, which the UN's special rapporteur and human rights defenders note is responsible for carrying out atrocities against Burmese civilians.

Two people were detained and released on Friday night, they said, adding that the police said they would try to give them permission to hold a protest that day but ultimately rejected it when people began gathering.

“Our peaceful demonstration is not a critique of India’s foreign policy,” said Salai Dokhar, one of the organisers of Friday's effort, adding that “we are deeply pained to see the mother of democracy welcome the 21st century's worst dictator”.

The refugees want to see India “as a contributor to regional peace, not as a provider of political legitimacy to a criminal coup leader”, Dokhar said, referring to then-military leader Min Aung Hlaing's coup d'etat against Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government in 2021.

“We feel entirely abandoned, living under a brutal dictatorship with no one to help us, surrounded by neighbours driven only by selfish, interest-based policies,” the activist added. “This is the darkest chapter in our country’s history. All we ask is for our voices to be heard by the people of our neighboring nations, even if their leaders choose to ignore us.”

Although the refugees “understand India's need to secure its ongoing infrastructure projects”, Dokhar said it is “deeply concerning” that it is the first country to “offer political legitimacy” to Min Aung Hlaing in his capacity as president of Myanmar, a post he has assumed following elections that his opponents and independent observers alike have said were neither free nor fair.

Min Aung Hlaing arrived in India on Saturday, beginning his five-day visit by travelling to Bodh Gaya, where he was welcomed by Bihar governor Lieutenant General (retired) Syed Ata Hasnain.

He then proceeded to New Delhi, where he was received by junior external affairs minister Kirti Vardhan Singh – who represented India at his inauguration in Naypyidaw – and met external affairs minister S. Jaishankar.

“Appreciate his positive sentiment towards deepening our longstanding bilateral cooperation. Look forward to his meeting with [Prime Minister Narendra Modi] to advance our partnership for peace, progress and prosperity,” Jaishankar wrote on X.

Before his arrival the exiled National Unity Government of Myanmar and the Justice for Myanmar covert group had also expressed their opposition to India's hosting Min Aung Hlaing, with the latter also condemning New Delhi for its materiel sales and partnerships with the Southeast Asian nation even after the junta's takeover.

India has maintained engagement with Myanmar's military authorities despite calls from ethnic opposition groups to support efforts to press the regime towards a return to democracy, even as the junta has grown increasingly dependent on China.

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