Myanmar: South Asia's Perennial Troublemaker?

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Myanmar: South Asia's Perennial Troublemaker?

By Arafat Kabir

At a time when regional heavyweights China and India are pushing forward with connectivity in South Asia, developments along the Myanmar border as well as inside the country run counter to the region’s common interest, including Myanmar itself.

In response to a deadly ambush carried out by the Naga rebel group, the Indian army engaged in a rare cross-border raid into Myanmar last month.

Although Myanmar had denied any such intrusion had taken place, the Indian army claimed that they had maintained contact with Myanmar’s officials on the matter.

Meanwhile, adding further to the region’s rising tensions was a provocative move that saw Myanmar’s Border Guard Police (BGP) capture a Bangladeshi border guard near the country’s western front.

These latest incidents come amid the ever-deteriorating Rohingya crisis, which begs the question: Is Myanmar the agent provocateur in South Asia?

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesasia/2015/07/06/myanmar-south-asias-perennial-troublemaker/