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[Diplomacy] Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and India

1. Member States

2. Should India become a full time member of SCO?

3. Arguments against joining SCO

4. Arguments in favor of joining SCO

Introduction: What is SCO?

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)Intergovernmental organization, consisting of certain of Central Asiancountries.Founded in 2001 in Shanghai.

What does SCO do?

For Mutual cooperation to fight again terrorism, separatism and extremism inCentral AsiaSo they help each other in the matters of military cooperation, intelligencesharing, counterterrorism, and joint military exercises – for example PeaceMission 2012 was held in Tajikistan. About 2,000 members of the securityforces of the member countries participated

Member States

Members Observers Dialogue Partners

1. China,2. Kazakhstan,3. Kyrgyzstan,4. Russia,5. Tajikistan,6. Uzbekistan.

1. Afghanistan2. India3. Iran4. Mongolia5. Pakistan

1. Belarus2. Sri Lanka3. Turkey

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Central Asia: Political Map

Our Foreign Minister SM Krishna (lolz), earlier said that India wants to become a fulltime member of SCO. Russian Government welcomed this move, and China did notoppose.

Should India become a full time member of SCO?

Arguments against joining SCO

Pakistan sponsored Terror companies

China has been trying to use the security mechanism of the SCO for dealing withorganisations which are perceived as posing a threat to Beijing and the CentralAsian Republics,BUT it does not look upon anti-India organizations sponsored by Pakistan'sInter-Services Intelligence, or the Afghan Taliban or the Haqqani Network suchas the Lashkar-e-Tayiba the Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Harkt-ul-Jihad-al-Islami and the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, as coming within the ambit of the SCOsecurity mechanism.

ideology

There would be very little compatibility between our internal security concernsand interests and those of China and Pakistan and it could be counter-productivefor us to participate in this mechanism.Moreover, our internal security strategy is based on the principle that except in

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border areas, the police should be the weapon of first resort and the army theweapon of last resort for internal security (i.e. Naxalites, secessionists in NorthEast and J/K.) But The SCO mechanism operates on the principle that the armyshould be the weapon of first resort with the police playing only a supportiverole. [although I think that’s a better idea given our cops lack the morale andequipment to deal with internal security troubles.]

China the Cyber bully

The internal security co-operation mechanism of the SCO is now proposed to beextended to the area of cyber security. But The main threats to our cybersecurity will arise from China. It will not be in our interest to participate in anyconnectivity and inter-operability mechanism relating to cyber security withChina!

Arguments in favor of joining SCO

Indian interest in International North-South Transport Corridor (connectsMumbai in India, Bandra Abbas port in Iran and another port known as BandarAnzali in northern Iran on the Caspian Sea coast- from Indian perspective, thisroute is shorter than the existing Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea). Thisroute will help India to bypass Pakistan to reach Central Asia.India is looking for energy cooperation in the region TAPI strategic link in itsextended neighborhood and South Asia. (already discussed in earlier article)SCO is promising alternative regional platform to discuss the rapidly changingAfghan situation [because UNO is heavily dominated by USA, and in UNSC,India doesn’t enjoy Veto power]

All the articles on diplomacy, are archived at mrunal.org/diplomacy

Ref

Inputs from Mr. SARATH BATHALAhttp://www.rediff.com/news/column/india-must-be-cautious-while-seeking-sco-full-

membership/20120612.htm

Good ol’ wikipedia

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Posted By On 21/08/2012 @ 13:53 In the category Diplomacy