Myanmar ops: No tangible proof of achievements?

The Army’s special operations in Myanmar may have been a <g data-gr-id="32">success,</g> though there has not been any tangible proof of its achievements including a firm body count of the rebels. 

 But the hype that got created about the success of the operation was a result of background briefings – ostensibly at the behest of the prime minister’s office – which sought to do myth-making.

The para-commandos who exhibited their professionalism in a surgical operation did not talk to the media. Army’s own briefing on the afternoon of the operation was limited to the additional director general, military operations (ADGMO), Major General Ranveer Singh, was limited to the reading of a terse statement with no questions taken by the senior official.

While the elation at the ‘success’ of the operation appeared to have overtaken the diplomatic reticence that normally follows sensitive operations, evident in the Myanmar government’s reaction denying any incursion by foreign armed forces personnel in their territory, was criticised by retired senior army officials with experiences of special operations.

Government sources, however, did not clarify when asked whether this publicity hype about a covert operation was an indicator of policy change like that of the USA and Israel. 

These countries follow the principle of pre-emption and longer term deterrence, so they generate a lot of publicity including making Hollywood films about these.

It does seem now, that the government is not sure about the <g data-gr-id="44">thrust</g> they gave on publicising, for the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, has declared that he will no longer speak to the media for the next six months.

So, if this media glare, which is a product of those background briefings, could be a one-off case, or if it signals a fundamental change in policy, government watchers feel it should be a declared status. Still, another position is being discussed in the government circles that whether it needs to make it declaratory or choose to make it specific to particularly complex <g data-gr-id="33">cross border</g> operations. 

These questions that have arisen need to be debated, sources say, at length and a final decision taken.