Rebels who fought against junta troops in Myawaddy described a demoralised military that was unwilling to hold its ground
Merkel, accompanied by several cabinet colleagues and a business delegation, began talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that will focus on trade, investment, regional security and climate change.
Germany is India's largest trading partner in Europe and more than 1,700 German companies operate in the country.
German funds will be used to finance several environment friendly projects such as the introduction of electric buses to replace diesel ones used for public transport in urban centres.