Poonam Sharma
In a sensational geopolitical twist, news of American troop movement in Bangladesh and Indian Army activity within Myanmar has sounded alarm bells throughout South Asia. Under the news of anti-narcotics exercises is a profound struggle: the battle for mastery over one of the globe’s most strategically and economically valuable regions — the Golden Triangle running from India’s Northeast to Myanmar’s Chin state and Bangladesh’s Chittagong area.
From Opium Trails to Rare Earth
For years, the Golden Triangle equated to opium, heroin and methamphetamine smuggling. Now, its significance is much higher. Intelligence estimates and geological probes indicate that some of the world’s biggest untapped reserves of rare earth elements — essential for contemporary electronics, batteries, and defence technology — are buried under Northeast India’s hills, western Myanmar’s hills, and Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts.
And just as the 19th and 20th centuries were shaped by oil competition, say analysts, the 21st century will be shaped by competition for rare earth minerals. Whoever owns this corridor will have a decisive advantage in global supply chains for technology.
Interpol’s Historic Drug Haul
The recent Interpol-coordinated record-breaking seizure of synthetic drugs has brought added scrutiny to the region. Although the U.S. has charged that India’s Northeast is a significant transit zone for drugs, Indian authorities have countered, indicting weak borders and foreign-supported networks of insurgents. Both acknowledge that the Golden Triangle is a center of illegal trafficking — from methamphetamine to weapons, individuals, and even minerals.
India’s Increasing Presence in Myanmar
New Delhi has developed a pragmatic friendship with Myanmar’s military regime over several years, walking a fine line between denouncing human rights violations and tacit security cooperation. With insurgent groups active near the border and Indian investment in Myanmar’s Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project and Sittwe port, India considers stability in western Myanmar crucial to its Act East policy.
Recent leaks of intelligence reports indicate India has forged agreements with some of the Myanmar armed groups in order to secure its infrastructure initiatives and possible mineral exploration areas. Indian troops, in cooperation with the army of Myanmar, have targeted alleged insurgent camps along the border as part of measures to stem the entry of drugs and weapons into Northeast India.
U.S. Moves Into Bangladesh
At the same time, Washington has deepened its presence in Bangladesh, a long-term ally in counterterrorism and naval security. The U.S. has pushed Dhaka on human rights and democracy while also pursuing military-to-military relations. Observers point out that Bangladesh’s Chittagong port, which is among the deepest in the region, as well as nearby St. Martin’s Island US interest in attempting for establishing base are of huge strategic significance as they provide access to the Bay of Bengal and shipping routes to the Malacca Strait.
South Asian critics accuse the U.S. of using its presence in Bangladesh to spy on India and Myanmar, while also bargaining for influence over rare earth exploration ventures. American authorities reject such accusations, asserting that their efforts are still humanitarian and counter-narcotics assistance.
Demographic Shifts and Strategic Religion
Aside from minerals and seacoast access, a riotous, less publicized front is opening up — religious and demographic transformation. Christian numbers have increased considerably in the past decades in Chittagong, Mizoram, Manipur, and Chin state. Western NGOs and churches, abetted by influential foreign lobbies, started conversions to gain influence, Indian analysts say, although Western governments dismiss this as conspiracy.
However, the emergence of Christian-aligned insurgent groups, ranging from the Kuki militants of Manipur to Rakhine and Chin state’s armed groups, falls into a pattern deemed suspect by many in India’s security establishment. Rebel militias such as the Arakan Army and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army are said to have acquired advanced weapons. Sustained suspicion exists in the form of unsubstantiated claims of U.S. or Western support.
The Battle for Strategic Corridors
Geography renders this area critical. Sittwe port (Indian-developed), Chittagong port (maritime gateway of Bangladesh), and routes of access through Chin Hills and Arakan coast constitute a land-sea bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia. Who controls these nodes holds the key to trade flows, military logistics, and energy corridors. During the era of Indo-Pacific rivalry, no great power can afford to disregard it.
India–U.S. Frictions
Despite their partnership on many global fronts, India and the U.S. have divergent interests in the Golden Triangle. Washington fears an India–Myanmar mineral axis that could sideline American companies and strengthen India’s strategic autonomy. New Delhi, in turn, resents what it sees as U.S. meddling — backing of NGOs, alleged support for insurgents, and criticism of India’s Northeast policies.
This crisscross of military tread — U.S. intervention in Bangladesh and Indian actions in Myanmar — is an indicator of a low-key but growing competition for influence in the eastern periphery of the Indian subcontinent.
Caught in between are local communities: ethnic minorities, refugee groups, and rebel factions. From Kukis to Rohingya, from Chin rebels to Arakan insurgents, decades of marginalisation and militarization have bred a fertile soil for narcotics trade and foreign intelligence activities. Pawns or not, their alignment with greater geopolitical actors enhances regional instability.
Rare Earths: The New Oil
Rare earth minerals are no longer exotic. They fuel smartphones, electric cars, windmills, guided missiles, and satellites. China now controls global supply chains but the Myanmarese, Indian Northeastern, and Bangladeshi deposits represent a rare chance for diversification. For America, gaining alternative sources is a strategic necessity; for India, tapping its own resources is a national necessity.
This competition is the reason why mineral-endowed but conflict-plagued areas like Sagaing (Myanmar) or Nagaland and Manipur (India) are attracting the interest of great powers.
Conclusion: A Brewing Cold War in the Eastern Corridor
What is taking place along the Golden Triangle is something greater than a war against drugs. It is a multi-faceted struggle encompassing rare earth, religious influence, insurgency, and sea power. India, eager to secure its northeastern border and base of resources, is increasing its military presence in Myanmar. The U.S., interested in not letting any one power dominate the corridor, is increasing its presence in Bangladesh and joining hands with civil society and possibly clandestine forces.
The result of this rivalry will determine not just the future of Myanmar and Northeast India but the direction of global technology supply chains as well as the balance of power within the Indo-Pacific. As has been the case in the past, the battle for resources never long remains underground. In the Golden Triangle, the great next struggle may already be underway.
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