General Hlaing’s political solution consists of changing the electoral system from first-past-the-post to one that ensures the military-backed USDP wins a majority which will require tweaking the military-drafted Constitution and encouraging the entry of additional political parties. Suu Kyi neither encouraged second-rung leadership, which she kept overcentralised, nor tapped provincial talent.

Growing divide: Resistance to the military coup in Myanmar is rising with the junta eyeing alternatives to Aung San Suu Kyi. Reuters

Maj-Gen Ashok K Mehta (retd)

Military Commentator

Myanmar has entered the fifth month after the military coup, with resistance to the coup optically resilient and bedding in. No coup led by the Commander-in-Chief (General Min Aung Hlaing) himself has met with such popular dissent and wide-scale opposition. But this coup is atypical, as the military was voluntarily sharing power with the elected National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi in a unique hybrid system where the military called the shots and the powerful NLD provided the democratic veneer.

The junta’s game plan of legally disqualifying the NLD from future elections and taking penal action for sedition and corruption against Suu Kyi is playing out to a delayed schedule due to the growing strength of resistance. A recent study reveals that while protests have visibly declined, use of explosive devices and fighting in the border regions with Kachins, Karens and Chin has risen exponentially. Detained protestors are being tortured by the Office of Military Security which has raised a vigilante group called Pyuisawhti — a Burmese warrior prince — in May for surveillance in urban areas. According to the UN Human Rights Office, 893 civilians have been killed and nearly 6,000 protestors detained.

In the military’s estimate, action of the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) with the Civil Disobedience Movement and People’s Defence Force with their alliance with four ethnic armed organisations, has been brought under control. General Hlaing has given himself an indefinite extension of service beyond July when he was to retire. He is saying elections will be held (not in one or two years) but when peace and stability are restored. The economy has collapsed (down to 3 per cent and poverty risen from 24 to 27 per cent), replaced with underground trade and business by criminal networks. A suspicion that Beijing was behind the coup has boosted anti-China sentiments, prompting Chinese Ambassador Chen Hai to say his country is playing a constructive role in bringing peace and stability. While sanctions have not worked, internally displaced numbers have reached 100,000, mainly from Kayah State while refugees have crossed over into Thailand and India. Eight weeks after the ASEAN five-point consensus to find a negotiated solution, even the search for a special envoy is proving elusive.

Government prosecutors are completing their presentation of charges this month after which Suu Kyi’s defence team will present its case. In his first interview, General Hlaing told Hong Kong Phoenix TV that transfer of power to civil administration will happen after the elections. The NUG’s first press conference on June 4 had to be aborted as the military shut down the Internet.

As the peak of resistance is probably past, so has the use of force by the elite 77 Infantry Division, infamous for deployment against protests like the CDM. General Hlaing’s political solution consists of changing the electoral system from first-past-the-post to one that ensures the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) wins a majority which will require tweaking the military-drafted Constitution and encouraging the entry of additional political parties like the National Democratic Force which split from the NLD in 2010, People’s Party founded in 2018 and People’s Pioneer Party formed in 2019. Suu Kyi neither encouraged nurturing second-rung leadership, which she kept overcentralised, nor tapped provincial talent.

General Hlaing’s plans for regime change roughly follow the Thailand model. General Hlaing reached out to former General and now Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o’cha through the effervescent and pro-military Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin. A back-channel has existed between General Chan o’cha who won the Thai elections in 2019 by leading a pro-military political party. In 2014, General Chan o’cha had reached out to General Hlaing when he staged a coup, but recently he was disinclined to be publicly associated with Hlaing. That was the reason he skipped the Jakarta ASEAN meet in April. But in 2018, Hlaing was awarded the Knight and Grand Cross of Most Exalted Order of White Elephant for his support to the Thai military.

Burmese Generals are inward looking and consider themselves as guardians of society, religion and moral values. The military is the backbone of state administration and functional order.

India’s support for restoration of democracy may not align with the Hlaing model. Its Act East policy has been jolted due to unrest on the Indian and Thai borders as insurgency has been revived. India drew flak when it ordered states bordering Myanmar to prevent refugees from entering overland into Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland. India has not signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. Despite bar orders from New Delhi, Mizoram and Manipur have permitted 17,000 refugees, including the Chief Minister of Chin state, fleeing fighting, to enter their states. Unless India along with Japan, creates a niche position for itself in the ASEAN peace plan, its support for the junta will hurt its democratic credentials.

This month’s UNGA resolution condemning the coup and urging an arms embargo, passed with 119 out of 193 votes, was only the fourth resolution after Haiti (1991), Burundi (1993) and Honduras (2009). India is among 36 abstentions and it must step up support for democratic resistance for an inclusive Myanmar.

The ASEAN process is beset with challenges that are contained in the military spokesperson’s statement: “Whether we can allow a special envoy of ASEAN will depend on stability. Whether we follow ASEAN’s suggestion (five-point consensus) will depend on the situation in the country.”

Civil-military cohabitation appears not to have worked for both sides. Worse, they feel they don’t need each other. Military under genuine civilian control in a democratic dispensation is a distant goal; even restoration of power-sharing is unlikely, further limiting India’s strategic choices.

Tribune News Service

Ambala, June 22

The Ambala police have today arrested a Squadron Leader after his wife Lieutenant Sakshi (29) allegedly committed suicide at her service quarter in Ambala Cantonment on Monday.

The police said Sakshi’s husband, Navneet Sharma, has been arrested and will be produced before a court on Wednesday. A case has been registered under Sections 304-B and 34 of the IPC at the Ambala Cantonment police station against Navneet Sharma, his mother Luxmi Sharma, father Chetram Sharma and brother Mohit Sharma.

The complianant, Sourabh, Sakshi’s brother, said Sakshigot married in December 2018. Her in-laws used to harass her for dowry and beat her over petty issues. “She had told us that her in-laws want to give her son to Navneet’s sister. They have been torturing her. She informed us the same on Sunday night too. On Monday, we got call that Sakshi has committed suicide. Navneet had also got CCTV cameras installed in their room and threatened to divorce Sakshi,” he added. Sourabh alledged that the accused may have got the footage erased. Demanding police action the family today reached outside the police station in Ambala Cantonment and refused to accept the body till the accused were arrested. The SHO Ambala Cantonment, Vijay Kumar, said “Following a complaint, the squadron leader has been arrested .” — TNS

Intending to ensure that “unscrupulous” elements do not get into government jobs, the J&K administration has amended the Civil Services (Verification of Character and Antecedents) rules. Photo for representation only

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 22

Intending to ensure that “unscrupulous” elements do not get into government jobs, the J&K administration has amended the Civil Services (Verification of Character and Antecedents) rules, making it mandatory for those entering the services to provide educational details from the age of 15 years, mobile numbers used in last five years, information about in-laws and details of loans taken.

The General Administration Department (GAD) of the UT has made the amendment and an order was issued on late Monday evening. It stated that the decision was taken after a panel, set up under the chief secretary last year, recommended proper character and antecedent verification by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Mandatory to furnish educational, bank details

Educational details from the age of 15 years, mobile numbers used in the last five years, details of family, in-laws, loans, vehicle registration number, social media or web-based accounts, bank account numbers.

In case of stay abroad (including Pakistan/PoK), the candidates have to reveal particulars of the places they resided for more than 1 year after attaining age of 18 years. PTI

The candidates, besides being asked to provide information about themselves, their family members, including in-laws, will have to provide information about the mobile numbers used during the last five years, the registration number of vehicles owned or used, email and social media or web-based portal accounts, in addition to bank and post office account numbers. Among other details are candidates as well as their spouses data, purpose and hosts of foreign visits in the last five years and membership or association, if any, with prescribed or banned organisations, details of membership of club or society or association or trust or charity and similar bodies.

“The appointing authorities, on the receipt of attestation forms from the candidates, shall forward these forms with a covering

letter (sealed and marked secret) to the CID Headquarters for verification of the character and antecedents of the selectees,” the order stated.

“The CID shall conduct verification of character and antecedents of the selectees and forward the same to the requisitioning authority within one month. In case the process in respect of some candidates requires more time, the CID may seek another one month,” it said, while further clarifying that the entire time period in the verification process should not be more than two months under any circumstances.

The order read, “In case of receipt of an adverse report and on confirmation thereof by the state/divisional/district-level screening committee, as the case may be, the appointment shall automatically stand cancelled without any notice.”

The government warned that the furnishing of false information or suppression of any factual information in the attestation form would entail disqualification, and is likely to render the candidate unfit for employment under the government.

• Meet Mawya Sudan, first woman fighter pilot in IAF from J-K’s RajouriRajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 20 (ANI): Mawya Sudan, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, has become the first woman fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Rajouri district.Hailing from the village of Lamberi, of Border Tehsil of Nowshera in Rajouri, she commissioned into the IAF as Flying Officer.Mawya has become the 12th woman officer and first from Rajouri to be inducted as a fighter pilot in the IAF. Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria reviewed the combined graduation passing out parade, held on Saturday at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Hyderabad.
  
  Mawya’s father, Vinod Sudan, expressed his happiness over his daughter’s achievement. He said, “I am feeling proud. Now she is not just our daughter but a daughter of this country. We have been receiving congratulatory messages since yesterday.”The fighter pilot’s sister, Manyata Sudan, who is a JE in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, told ANI that since her school days, Mawya was inclined towards Air Force and always wanted to become a fighter pilot.”I am incredibly proud of my younger sister. This was her dream since childhood. I am sure she will add to her laurels soon. This is just the beginning. Everyone is treating her like her own daughter. People from all over the country are supporting and motivating her. It is an inspiring story for everyone,” she said.Sushma Sudan, the mother, said, “I am happy that she has worked so hard and achieved her goal. She has made us feel proud.” Everyone in the village is happy over Mawya’s news, said her grandmother Pushpa Devi. (ANI)

Martyr Harbhajan Singh’s wife Jaswinder Kaur and son Ranjit Singh.

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Mansa, June 21

An unemployed ETT-TET pass son of a martyred soldier is angry with the Punjab Government’s decision to give jobs to sons of MLAs on compassionate grounds.

Harbhajan Singh, a soldier from Mandali village in Mansa district, was martyred in Operation Rakshak in Jammu and Kashmir in 1995. His son Ranjit Singh, who was only three years old at that time, now holds BA and MA

degrees. He has also cleared ETT and TET.

Ranjit Singh said, “My father was with the 7th Rashtriya Rifles Battalion of the Army and was martyred on June 7, 1995, in Jammu and Kashmir.”

After completing higher education, Ranjit Singh sought a job from the government on compassionate grounds, but it rejected his request. “We are not begging, we are just asking for our rights,” he said. He also said the state government had not provided any assistance to the family till date. In 2017, he wrote a letter to the state Department of Defence Services Welfare, but got a reply that his case could not be taken up.

After playing a critical role in the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is now playing a key role once again in bringing political parties to the talking table with the central government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting with political parties of Jammu and Kashmir on June 24 in New Delhi.
The meeting is being seen as the most significant step of the Centre to end the political impasse in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
Ajit Doval has been engaging with local leaders in Kashmir valley for months to bring them to hold talks with the Centre. According to government sources, Doval has been engaging with leaders at the lowest level to gauge the mood of the people in the Valley.
Earlier, Ajit Doval had participated in the crucial process to revoke Article 370 that earlier guaranteed special rights to the people of J&K. Recently, he was also involved in the process to ensure ceasefire agreements between the armies of India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that once the Kashmir issue is resolved, there will no longer be any need for nuclear deterrents. He said this while speaking to journalist Jonathan Swan on Axios on HBO. “Intelligence analysts say Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal anywhere in the world. Why?” the interviewer questioned.
“I don’t know where they’ve come up with this. Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is simply a deterrent, to protect ourselves,” he said, adding that he was “not sure” whether it was growing. “As far as I know, it’s not an offensive thing. Any country which has a neighbour seven times its size would be worried.”
He went on to say that he was “completely against nuclear arms”. “I always have been. We’ve had three wars against India and ever since we have had a nuclear deterrent, there has been no war between the two countries. We’ve had border skirmishes but we’ve never faced war.
“The moment there is a settlement on Kashmir, the two neighbours would live as civilised people. We will not need to have nuclear deterrents.”
Uighur Muslims
Asked why he was so outspoken about Islamophobia in the West but silent about the genocide of Uighur Muslims in China, he said that all issues were discussed with China “behind closed doors”.
“China has been one of the greatest friends to us in our most difficult times. When we were really struggling, China came to our rescue. We respect the way they are and whatever issues we have, we speak behind closed doors.
“I look around the world what’s happening in Palestine, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan. Am I going to start talking about everything? I concentrate on what is happening on my border, in my country.”
He questioned why this was such a big issue in the Western world when the people of occupied Kashmir were being ignored. “It is much more relevant. Compared to what may be going on with the Uighurs, 100,000 Kashmiris have been killed,” he said, adding that the occupied valley had been turned into an “open prison”.
“Why is that not an issue?” he asked, adding that he considered it to be “hypocrisy”.
He said that he was concentrating on the things that concerned the country and its borders. “One hundred thousand Kashmiris dying, that concerns me more because half of Kashmir is in Pakistan,” he said.
Talking about the open letter he had written to leaders of Muslims states calling on them to unite against Islamophobia, PM Imran said: “There is a big communication gap between the Islamic world and Western societies. It happened after 9/11 when the world ‘Islamic’ terrorism came into currency.”
The moment you say Islamic terrorism, the common man in the West thinks there is something within the religion which leads to terrorism, he said. After 9/11 any time there was a terrorist act where a Muslim was involved, 1.3 billion Muslims across the world started becoming targets, he said.
Sexual Violence In Pakistan
Asked to respond to his comments linking the incidence of rape to obscenity, the premier said: “It is such nonsense. I never said that […] I said the concept of purdah which is to avoid temptation in society.”
He said that Pakistan had a completely different society and way of life. “If you raise temptation within society and all these young guys have nowhere to go, it has consequences.”
“Do you think that what women wear has any effect, that it is part of this temptation?” Swan asked.
“If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on men unless they are robots. I mean it’s common sense,” he said. If you have a society where people haven’t seen that sort of thing it will have an impact on them, he said.
When the interviewer brought up his past as an international cricket star, PM Imran said: “This is not about me. It’s about my society. My priority is how my society behaves […] so when I see sex crime going through the roof we sit down and discuss how to tackle it. It is having an impact in my society.”

Hyderabad: In 2016, India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36-Rafale jets at a cost Rs 59,000 crore.
IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria on Saturday said the induction of 36 Rafale aircraft into the Indian Air Force would take place by 2022.
The IAF is absolutely on target with respect to the Rafale induction plan, he said while responding to a reporters’ query on timeline for receiving the 36 fighter jets from France.
“The target is 2022. It is absolutely on target. I mentioned earlier. Except for one or two aircraft, minor delays because of Covid related issues, but, in fact, some deliveries have been ahead of time.
So, broadly, we are absolutely on target on the Rafale induction plan.
On the operationalisation plan, you are aware, we are fully operational.. so, in terms of time, we will be absolutely on time,” he told reporters after reviewing the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal here.
In 2016, India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36-Rafale jets at a cost Rs 59,000 crore.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had in February said the country would have the entire fleet of the fighter aircraft by April 2022.
Asked for his assessment on the situation in eastern Ladakh on the Indo-China border, the IAF Chief said talks are on between the two sides and the first attempt is to continue with the parleys and carry out the disengagement at the “balance friction points.”
“The first attempt is to continue with the talks and do the disengagement at the balance friction points. And, of course, follow it up with de-escalation,” he said.
“However, in parallel, the ground realities are being monitored closely. Whatever is the reality across, in terms of current leftover locations, deployments, any changes, that is being monitored closely and whatever actions are required on our part, we are taking, Bhadauria said.

While the Indian Army and Navy are in favour of military theatre commands, the Indian Air Force has issues over division of its air assets, nomenclature of commands, leadership of theatre commands and dilution of powers of chiefs
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat has called a meeting on Wednesday of the tri-services and other stake holders to understand their concerns over theatre commands and iron out differences before working towards the raising of maritime and air defence commands this year. The ministry of defence had accorded acceptance in principle to theatre commands in 2017 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi handing over the mandate of reorganization to Gen Rawat.
Earlier this month, after a presentation, defence minister Rajnath Singh had asked Gen Rawat to call a meeting of stake holders and discuss all the issues threadbare before taking the theatre command concept to Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final approval. Majority nations, including tiny Maldives to mighty US, function on theatre command concept with the idea of seamless integration among the land, sea and air forces for better coordination and response. While China has reorganized its seven military districts into five theatre commands, Pakistan has sought support of Beijing to help its forces also be reorganized under the same military concept.
Although there have been media reports indicating that the entire process may be delayed, the ministry of defence, Indian Army and the Indian Navy are totally in favour of activation of the theatre commands with the Indian Air Force ploughing a lonely furrow on even issues like naming of the commands. Since the end of 1999 Kargil war, the Indian Air Force has its own version of jointmanship and integration with the sole purpose of keeping its air assets undivided and protecting its own turf. The fact is that even today, official files pertaining to army are labelled as Integrated Headquarters, Army (Ministry of Defence). The Navy filed are labelled Integrated Headquarters, Navy, but the Air Force files are still labelled as air headquarters only. This speaks volumes about Air Force vision of integration of the three services.
A senior military commander explained the context and said: “Those in doubt are confused and outdated. Has corporatisation of ordnance factory boards come with 100 per cent consensus or is it based on efficient and better management of resources. Leadership in military is meant to take decisions in best interests of security ensuring optimum and efficient management of resources. Whatever is the best way for us to achieve the objective is the way forward.”
Under the present theatre command concept, there will be three land-based commands – North comprising only of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, East comprising land area from Himachal to Arunachal Pradesh and West comprising of land area from Punjab to down south. Apart from this there will be an air defence command and a maritime theatre command with the Andamans and Nicobar Command under its jurisdiction. The maritime and air defence command will be raised by serving commander in chiefs after announcement this year and start functioning next year under the newly appointed theatre commanders. The theatre commanders will be selected from the serving commander in chiefs of the three services with air defence command going under an air marshal and maritime theatre command under a vice admiral without creation of any new posts.
With Pakistan on its west and China on its eastern flank, the northern command will remain a single unit under an army general as the theatre is expected to remain active on the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control for time to come.
Apart from getting its air assets divided and issues like rotation among services for theatre commanders, the IAF’s concern is the perceived dilution of powers of the air chief as the theatre commanders will be in-charge of operations and directly report to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee with three chiefs as members. This concept is similar to the US concept where the chief of staff is responsible only for procurement and training while the theatre commanders report to the defence secretary.
The present command structure in the Indian military is lop-sided with Indian Army having seven commands, a much smaller Indian Air Force having similar number and Indian Navy having three commands. This structure will be rationalized under the theatre command concept with the Indian Navy expected to get one more commander in chief position.
With the Chinese PLA already functioning as one integrated unit under the Western Theatre Command along the 3488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian military needs to get its act together and move fast on theatre commands for a cogent and strong response to the adversary in future. India has no other options.

According to latest figures compiled by the MoD, the total manpower in OFB as on February 1, 2021 was 74,085

Photo for representation.

Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 21

No outsider would be appointed to the Board of Directors in the newly corporatized Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and appointments thereof for the time being would be made from within establishments under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

“The first set of Board of Directors of the corporate entity (ies) is to be appointed from the serving senior officials of the OFB/Department of Defence Production, Armed Forces, Controller General of Defence Accounts and the existing nine defence public sector undertakings,” a note issued by the planning wing of the Department of Defence Production states.

On June 17, the Union Cabinet had approved the corporatization of the OFB, resulting in its 41 factories being subsumed as seven defence public sector undertakings owned 100 per cent by the government.

The Ministry of Defence has sought the list of officers fulfilling the eligibility criteria, who opt to join the newly created companies, from the aforementioned departments by June 30.

The selected officers would be placed on deemed deputation to the new corporate entities but without deputation allowance. They would be governed on terms applicable for foreign service and would be subject to service rules and regulations such as pay and allowances, leave and career progression as applicable to them in their parent cadre, the note adds.

Headquartered at Kolkata, the OFB is the oldest and the largest organisation in the country’s defence industry, dating back to 1787 when a gunpowder factory was established by the British at Ishapore.

They produce a vast array of equipment for the armed forces, para-military organisations and to a limited extent, the civilian market.

This includes weapons and ammunition, soft-skin vehicles, armoured vehicles, personal equipment and clothing, parachutes, opto-electronic devices, surveillance equipment and ancillary items.

Under the new scheme of things, the 41 factories have been converted into seven defence public sector undertakings. Ammunition and Explosives, headquartered at Khadki, will take over 12 factories, while Weapons and Equipment, headquartered at Kanpur, and Ancillary, headquartered at Ambajhari, will get eight factories each.

Vehicles, headquartered at Avadi, will get five factories, Troop Comfort Items, headquartered at Kanpur, will get four. Opto-electronics, headquartered at Dehradun will get three, while Parachute at Kanpur will comprise a single unit.

The plan for corporatization of the OFB was conceived about two decades ago to revitalise and streamline the functioning of the factories which have often drawn fire from Parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India oversight over poor quality of products, mismanagement, delayed timelines and lack of technological advancements.

According to latest figures compiled by the MoD, the total manpower in OFB as on February 1, 2021 was 74,085 and the revenue generated in 2020 was Rs 12,755 crore. Arms and Explosives had the lion’s share in both, with 24,436 employees and a revenue of Rs 4,348 crore.