Oppose the Myanmar junta, Obama tells India

NEW DELHI - US President Barack Obama Monday urged India to come out against the military junta in Myanmar, gently telling New Delhi that it had often remained silent on such issues.

After paying tribute to India’s democratic system, Obama told Indian MPs in a stirring speech that democracies could not remain silent over what was happening in Myanmar.

“When peaceful democratic movements are suppressed — as in Burma — then the democracies of the world cannot remain silent. For it is unacceptable to gun down peaceful protesters and incarcerate political prisoners decade after decade.

“It is unacceptable to hold the aspirations of an entire people hostage to the greed and paranoia of a bankrupt regime.

“It is unacceptable to steal an election, as the regime in Burma has done for all the world to see.”

Obama added: “Faced with such gross violations of human rights, it is the responsibility of the international community — especially leaders like the US and India — to condemn it.

“If I can be frank, in international fora India has often avoided these issues. But speaking up for those, who cannot do for themselves, is not interfering in the affairs of other countries… It is staying true to our democratic principles.”

India, which shares a long border with Myanmar, has close ties with the military junta.