Myanmar-Portuguese relations

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Myanmar-Portuguese relations
Location of Portugal and Myanmar
PortugalPortugal MyanmarMyanmar
Portugal Myanmar

The Myanmar-Portuguese relations describe the intergovernmental relationship between Myanmar and Portugal . The countries have had direct diplomatic relations since January 1981. The bilateral relations are only weak, as there have so far only been few points of contact between the two countries.

history

Syriams ruler Filipe de Brito e Nicote on an elephant, Japanese drawing from the Namban epoch

In 1511 Afonso de Albuquerque reached the Kingdom of Siam . He also sent a delegation led by Rui Nunes da Cunha to the Pegu Empire (now southern Myanmar), with which Portugal henceforth maintained diplomatic relations. In 1519 Portugal and Pegu signed a trade and assistance treaty.

In the conflicts between Burmese rulers and Siam, Portuguese mercenaries hired each other on both sides. Thanks to his war elephants , but also to Portuguese weapons technology, the Siamese King Prajai from the Ayutthaya dynasty finally remained victorious in 1538.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, a fairly intense Portuguese presence developed in what is now Myanmar. Numerous Portuguese served in the armies and navies of various empires north of the Rakhine state , between today's border with Bangladesh and the Negrais Cape (also Point Mawtini). In the former capital Mrauk U and the port city of Sittwe , traces of the Portuguese presence can still be found, but these have hardly been investigated. We know that the city walls of the capital and the system of protective moats were planned by the Portuguese during the reign of King Min Bin (1531–1553). The empire's 350 galleys were run by Portuguese.

In 1595 the Arakanese conquered the southern kingdom of Pegu , near today's capital Rangoon . The company was commanded by the Portuguese Filipe de Brito e Nicote , who a little later founded the city of Syriam (Port. Sirião , today Thanlyin ) and, as Nga Zinkar, was proclaimed king of an empire of the same name, Syriam. He ruled from 1601 or 1605 to 1613, when he was killed after the conquest of his city by Anaukpetlun , King of Ava . All the Portuguese present and most of the remaining Christians were deported to the north of Ava.

In Syriam, opposite today's capital Rangoon, you can see the ruins of a church, the last tombstones of which date from the middle of the 18th century.

In the Archdiocese of Mandalay , near the city of Shwebo , there are three Bayingyi (or Benanjy ) villages , a Persian term for merchants. The inhabitants of these villages are of the Catholic faith and consider themselves to be descendants of Brito Nicote. Bayingyi or Benanjy is also commonly used in Myanmar as a term for the Catholic population.

diplomacy

On 7 February 1983 accredited to José de Mello Gouveia Ambassador of Portugal, in Bangkok , the first Portuguese Ambassador to the Myanmar capital Yangon . Portugal does not have its own embassy in Myanmar, but is double-accredited there via its representation in Thailand (as of January 2017).

Myanmar does not have its own diplomatic mission in Portugal either, but is accredited there through its embassy in Italy.

Mutual consulates have not yet been set up (as of 2016).

economy

In 2016, Portugal exported goods and services worth EUR 0.61 million to Myanmar (2015: 2.98 million; 2014: 3.76 million; 2013: 0.51 million; 2012: 0.21 million .; 2011: 0.33 million), of which 42.2% machines and devices, 26.3% leather and hides and 9.0% chemical-pharmaceutical products.

In the same period, Myanmar delivered goods and services worth 1.37 million euros to Portugal (2015: 1.23 million; 2014: 3.1 million; 2013: 0.49 million; 2012: 0.22 million .; 2011: 0.04 million), of which 89.3% agricultural products, 5.1% clothing and 3.6% leather and hides.

This means that Myanmar ranks 134th as a buyer and 132nd as a supplier for Portuguese foreign trade. In Myanmar foreign trade, Portugal ranked 55th among buyers and 44th among suppliers in 2015.

Web links

Commons : Myanmar-Portuguese Relations  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Overview of diplomatic relations with Myanmar at the diplomatic institute in the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs , accessed on May 4, 2019
  2. ↑ Fernando Cristóvão (Ed.): Dicionário Temático da Lusofonia. Texto Editores, Lisbon / Luanda / Praia / Maputo 2006 ( ISBN 972-47-2935-4 ), p. 850
  3. ↑ Fernando Cristóvão (Ed.): Dicionário Temático da Lusofonia. Texto Editores, Lisbon / Luanda / Praia / Maputo 2006 ( ISBN 972-47-2935-4 ), p. 851
  4. ↑ Fernando Cristóvão (Ed.): Dicionário Temático da Lusofonia. Texto Editores, Lisbon / Luanda / Praia / Maputo 2006 ( ISBN 972-47-2935-4 ), p. 793
  5. ↑ Overview of the diplomatic and consular missions of Portugal in Myanmar , Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed on February 13, 2017
  6. ^ Bilateral economic relations between Portugal and Myanmar , Excel file retrieved from the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce AICEP , accessed on February 11, 2017