New Delhi: Defence Minister George Fernandes, a supporter of pro-Democracy movement in Myanmar, on March 4 asserted that India's engagement with the Myanmarese military junta would continue in the national interest, though his convictions on the human rights and Democratic situation there remained unchanged.

Taking exception to columnist Kuldip Nayyar's remark at a book release function that New Delhi's attitude towards the pro-Democracy movement was "cold and unhelpful", Fernandes said while personally he continued to hold on to his convictions, "the government has to do its duty to the country".

Pointing out that insurgents in the North Eastern parts of the country operated "more often than not from Burmese soil", he said, "many of our soldiers get killed. If I ask a neighbour to check the insurgents and in the process protect our borders and life of our soldiers, it is not immoral by any standard of morality.

"India as a nation has stood by the people of Burma and will continue to stand by the people of Burma. We need efforts to persuade the military leadership. Such an effort will require participation by the people and positive media projection that a Democratic polity is not going to have an adverse impact on the military's tasks," he said.

Reminding the audience that his residence continued to be a home to several Myanmarese refugees, he said the government had mobilised support and even interacted with governments when the refugees faced problems in Mizoram and Manipur.

PTI