India has launched a UN peacekeeping training programme for Myanmar’s armed forces, even as the regime continues to target civilians in conflict zones.

The ninth UN Peacekeeping Officer Course opened in Naypyitaw on Monday, presided over by Deputy Commander‑in‑Chief General Kyaw Swa Lin. Thirty officers from the army, navy and air force will undergo instruction until 22 May, covering civilian protection, convoy security, military‑civilian cooperation and Blue Helmet exercises. India’s Ambassador Abhay Thakur and defence attachés attended the ceremony alongside Indian instructors.

This marks the second time India has run such a course in Myanmar since the 2021 coup. The launch follows a week of high‑level military engagement between the two countries, including Commander‑in‑Chief General Ye Win Oo’s meeting with Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi. The admiral also met Lt‑Gen Ko Ko Oo aboard an Indian warship docked at Yangon’s Thilawa port.

Critics have pointed to the stark contradiction between the training’s emphasis on protecting non‑combatants and the Myanmar military’s ongoing assaults on civilians. Reports from Chin State and Mandalay Region describe bombings, village burnings and attacks on resistance‑held areas, with women and children among the victims.

India’s outreach reflects strategic imperatives. Analysts say New Delhi is seeking to counter China’s growing influence while advancing its “Act East” policy. Beijing is pressing ahead with the China‑Myanmar Economic Corridor, while India has invested in the Kaladan transport project and the India‑Myanmar‑Thailand highway. Both initiatives, however, have been disrupted by instability and the loss of territory to resistance forces.

Myanmar remains the only ASEAN state sharing a land border with India, making it vital to New Delhi’s regional ambitions. Yet the junta controls only central corridors, while borderlands are contested by powerful ethnic armed groups. For India, the peacekeeping course is both a diplomatic gesture and a strategic foothold in a volatile neighbour.

-2026-05-13

Hypocrisy at its best.

On 5/13/2026 at 10:05 AM, geovalin said:

covering civilian protection,

Is that before or after committing war crimes?