India Uses Diwali Celebrations to Tighten Ties with Myanmar’s JuntaBy The Irrawaddy 9 November 2022India, the world’s largest democracy, continues to cement ties with Myanmar’s military regime which has slaughtered more than 2,400 people since the coup in February last year.Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing attended celebrations for Diwali or the festival of lights, one of Hindus’ most important festivals, at a Hindu temple in Yangon on Sunday.Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Vinay Kumar thanked the junta boss for gracing the celebration with his presence and vowed to foster strong relations between the two governments.As a direct neighbor, India could not avoid dealing with the military junta regime because of complex border issues, he argued.Less than two months after the coup, the then Indian ambassador attended an event to mark Armed Forces Day in Myanmar, defying a boycott by most other diplomatic missions in Myanmar and making India one of the few nations to recognize the junta as a legitimate government."