Page "Foreign relations of Burma" Paragraph 43

At the 2008 ASEAN Regional forum summit in Singapore, Bangladesh and Burma have pledged to solve their maritime boundary disputes as quickly as possible especially that a UN deadline in claiming maritime territories will expire in three years time.

However in late 2008, Burma sent in ships into disputed waters in the Bay of Bengal for the exploration of oil and natural gas.

Bangladesh responded by sending in three warships to the area and diplomatically pursued efforts to pressure the Burmese junta to withdraw their own ships.

During the crisis Burma deployed thousands of troops on its border with Bangladesh.

However, within a week the ships withdrew and the crisis ended.