Myanmar claims part of Bangladesh on its map again, ambassador summoned

Myanmar has once again showed Saint Martin’s Island of Bangladesh on its map, provoking the foreign ministry to summon its ambassador in Dhaka and lodge a strong protest.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 14 Feb 2019, 02:24 PM
Updated : 14 Feb 2019, 02:44 PM

Director General (South East Asia wing) Md Delwar Hossain told reporters that Acting Ambassador Aung Kyaw admitted the mistake when he handed over a protest note on Thursday.

Earlier on Oct 6 last year, Myanmar made a similar mistake on a government website. After protests, it changed the map.

“We asked him why they keep making such a mistake again and again? He admitted that it was a mistake. We have told him to change it at the soonest. He said he would convey this to his superiors and promised to change it by tomorrow,” the director general said.

Myanmar Acting Ambassador Aung Kyaw (left) waiting at the reception of the foreign ministry in Dhaka.

Myanmar, which is under intense pressure over the Rohingya issue, has been trying to divert the attention by creating different issues such as violating airspace, putting Saint Martin's Island on its map, firing unprovoked at the border and making false statements.

Bangladesh has been responding to those issues by summoning the ambassador and registering protests.

The Saint Martin’s Island was a part of British India when Myanmar was divided in 1937.

After the India-Pakistan partition, it was with the then East Pakistan. It has been an integral part of Bangladesh since it won independence from Pakistan.

Following the first maritime boundary agreement with Myanmar in 1974 and even after the UN court’s verdict on the maritime dispute between the countries, the Saint Martin’s Island has always been a part of Bangladesh.