Maung Sar Ga, Narinjara News, 2 October 2024

The Indian government has revealed its initiatives to resume theoperation of the Sittwe-India port, which was disrupted by the ongoing conflictin Arakan State.

In an interview with The Hindu Business Line onOctober 1, Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping andWaterways (MoPSW), conveyed this information.

The minister also announced that the Indiangovernment is working in collaboration with Myanmar authorities to ensure thesmooth operation of the Sittwe Port, which is crucial for the KaladanMulti-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP). This project aims to facilitatethe transportation of goods to northeastern states via the Kaladan River innorthern Arakan State.

The Sittwe-India Port, located in Sittwe,Arakan State, is currently under the control of the military junta, along withthe town itself. The port is an integral part of the Kaladan Multi-ModalTransit Transport Project, which enables direct transit of goods betweenMyanmar and India. While both the Indian government and the Myanmar militaryjunta are collaborating to ensure the continued operation of the port, it’s worth noting that therole of the Arakan Army (AA) remains significant.

Arakanese businessman U Maung Saw Win emphasized that thesuccess of the KMTTP hinges on India engaging in discussions with the AAregarding the sustained operation of Sittwe Port. Currently, the AA occupiesand controls Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, and Paletwa townships along the KaladanRiver, with Sittwe being an exception.

“Inthis scenario, I firmly believe that discussions between India and Myanmarcannot proceed without the involvement of the Arakan Army (AA),”  he toldNarinjara News.

The Sittwe-India port, which has ceasedoperations, was constructed by the Indian government at a cost of $120 millionin 2009 and was fully completed by the end of 2022.

Upon completion, the port facilitated the trialshipment of over 2,600 tons of rice to Bangladesh on January 13.

Sittwe Port was officially inaugurated byMyanmar and Indian government officials on May 9, 2023. Following the opening,the junta permitted domestic coastal ships, including international cargovessels and Sittwe-Yangon cargo ships, to dock starting on September 20.

The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit TransportProject, which encompasses Sittwe Port, was established through a FrameworkAgreement signed between Myanmar and India in April 2008, with India investingapproximately $500 million.  

The project intends to make it easier forcommodities to be transported by waterway from Sittwe to Paletwa,  andthen by road from Paletwa to  the Myanmar -India border in.Mizoram, India

Ports have been built in Sittwe and Paletwa Town in ChinState to facilitate waterway transportation.

A two-lane highway spanning 117 kilometers isnow being constructed from Mizoram's Lawngtlai District to the border withMyanmar.

The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit TransportProject will start up after the road is finished.

The Indian government recently announced that,as part of the KMTTP, electric power will be sent from Paletwa in Chin State toSittwe, the capital of Arakan State.

During his visit to Mizoram on September 12,Indian Joint Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs B. Shyam made thisannouncement at a meeting with Pu F. Rodingliana, the Minister of Power &Electricity of Mizoram, at his office.

Analysts, however, contend that without theArakan Army's cooperation, the Indian government's planso  tbeginconstruction on the Kaladan project or supply energy from Paletwa to Sittwewill not be successful.

Additionally, analysts predict that the ArakanArmy's current presence and territorial supremacy would be acknowledged andaccepted by the Indian government.

India has made an unprecedented invitation toopposition forces, including the Arakan Army (AA), which opposes the Myanmarmilitary junta, to participate in a federal seminar scheduled to be held in NewDelhi next November, funded by the Indian government.

Among the groups invited by India include theArakan Army (AA), which controls significant territories in Arakan State, theKachin Independence Army (KIA), one of Myanmar's most powerful armed groups,and the National Unity Government (NUG).

India has extended an unprecedented invitationto opposition forces, such as the Arakan Army (AA), which opposes the militaryjunta in Myanmar, to take part in a federal seminar that will be funded by theIndian government and held in New Delhi in November of next year.

The Arakan Army (AA), which governs a sizableportion of Arakan State, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one of Myanmar'smost potent armed groups, and the National Unity Government (NUG) are among theorganizations that India has invited.