Indian Embassy denies reports of rare earth deal with KIA
191
Phyo(NP News)- Dec 14
An official from the Indian Embassy in Myanmar told The Statesman that a report published in English by an online news outlet called Silicon Valley Times claiming that India and the KIA have reached an agreement on rare earth deal is false.
The news, titled “India’s Covert Pact with Myanmar Rebel Group Exposed,” stated that India and the KIA have formed a direct alliance to extract rare earth minerals.
According to the report by the Silicon Valley Times, India has built a 365-kilometer road network from Vijaynagar in Arunachal Pradesh to the rare earth mining site of Chipwi in Myanmar, based on satellite imagery and cross-border intelligence.
It also states that the road was built without the permission of the Myanmar government and that India will use it to deliver weapons, medical aid, and logistical supplies to the KIA, and to import rare earth resources from KIA-controlled areas to India.
According to the report, India's military support includes modern weapons and medical supplies, and in return, the KIA has pledged to crack down on anti-India rebel groups near the border, including the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-K (YA), and has tacitly supported India's claims to the disputed Chin State and Kabaw Valley regions.
The partnership also includes a secret plan to build a second strategic route from Laiza, the KIA’s headquarters, through Sagaing Region to Rihkhawdar.Chin State, according to the Silicon Valley Times. The corridor is being funded in part by Myanmar’s illegal logging networks and will allow for the long-term transport of rare earth minerals, oil, and timber to India.
The Statesman contacted an official from the Myanmar Embassy in India to confirm the news, who said, “It is just a fake news report.”
The official also said that such fake news and false reports are often spread about India.
“It is ridiculous to build a road in Kachin when the Kaladan project and the Tripartite road, which are being worked on by the two government, are not fully functioning yet. It would be a fabricated disinformation campaign designed to damage the good relations between India and Myanmar,” remarked a former diplomat. –