Human Rights Watch (HRW) said India's air force chief, Marshal SP Tyagi, offered a multi-million dollar military aid package last month during a visit to Burma, one of the world's most criticised governments for its gross violations of human and labour rights.

The package includes counter insurgency helicopters, avionics upgrades of Burma's Russian and Chinese-made fighter planes and naval surveillance aircraft, HRW said.

 "It is shocking that a democracy like India would offer military assistance to Burma's brutal military dictatorship, which is likely to use that assistance against the civilian population," said Brad Adams, HRW's Asia director.

"The Burmese government's record shows that these weapons and special training are used as tools of repression, not for defence," said Adams.

Analysts said India's moving closer to Burma reflects New Delhi's determination to curb China's influence in the military-run state, but Adam described the decision to provide the Burmese junta with arms as "going too far".

 Last year, India halted military aid to Nepal after a coup by King Gyanendra. Yet India has shown no such restraint with Burma, a country with an appalling human rights record and no semblance of democracy.