Insurgent groups may sneak into Manipur to join violence: Intelligence report

“All these-valley based militant outfits remained active and mostly operated out of Myanmar,” the intelligence report further said adding “There is an urgent need to intensify the border patrolling by the border guarding agencies along the Indo-Myanmar border.” Four Northeastern States, including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur share their border with Myanmar. Of the total 1,624 km long India-Myanmar border, Manipur shares 398 km of porus border with Myanmar, writes ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi:Amidongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, an intelligence report has said that about 300 cadres of valley-based insurgent groups of Manipur are currently stationed in Myanmar and they may cross over to Manipur to conduct violent activities in the coming days. “Nearly 300 cadres of valley-based insurgent groups are currently stationed across the India-Myanmar border and are fighting anti-coup forces on behalf of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army). Once the situation improves in Myanmar, these battle-hardened insurgents could venture into India and create disturbances,” an intelligence report seen by ETV Bharat stated.

The valley-based insurgent groups in Manipur are basically from the Meitei community. It is worth mentioning that several Kuki militant organisations in Myanmar are supporting the rebels against the Myanmar army whereas the Meitei insurgent organisations are supporting the Tatmadaw. Ironically, the valley-based militant organisations like United National Liberation Front (UNLF), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), the Revolutionary People's Front/People's Liberation Army (RPF/PLA), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) were earlier invited by the government for peace talks which were not accepted by them.

“All these-valley based militant outfits remained active and mostly operated out of Myanmar,” the intelligence report further said adding “There is an urgent need to intensify the border patrolling by the border guarding agencies along the Indo-Myanmar border.” Four Northeastern States, including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur share their border with Myanmar. Of the total 1,624 km long India-Myanmar border, Manipur shares 398 km of porous border with Myanmar.

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Myanmar has always been a safe haven for most of the insurgent outfits of the Northeast, including Kuki militants of Manipur, the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa-Independent), National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) among others. On the other hand, a total of 23 outfits in Manipur under two conglomerates United Peoples’ Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO)-from Kuki-Zo community are currently under Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreements with the Government of India since August 2008.

In February their SoO agreement was extended for another year. “It’s a serious matter that even after three months, the clash between Kukis and Meiteis is still on. And the report over possibilities of the Meitei militants joining the ongoing violence is a volatile indication,” said senior security expert and army veteran Brigadier (retd) BK Khanna.

He said that the Central government must take control of the situation before it goes totally out of hand. “The government must take two immediate actions to control the situation including law and order situation to be handled by the army and dismissal of Chief Minister N Biren Singh,” said Brigadier Khanna.

In fact, ever since the violence broke out in the State, the Kuki Civil Society organisations and even Kuki-Zo sitting legislators have been demanding the dismissal of the N Biren Singh government in Manipur. They alleged that Chief Minister Singh, who himself is a Meitei, is supporting the Meitei militia in attacking the Kuki community.