Northeast rebels sentenced to 2 years jail in Myanmar

Guwahati, May 18, 2019:

A local court in Myanmar has sentenced 24 cadres of Northeastern rebel outfits to 2 years in prison after launching a crackdown operation on the camps belonging to northeast-based rebel groups.

The Hkamti District Court in the Sagaing region of Myanmar on Wednesday handedd out the sentence to the cadres from Assam and Manipur belonging to United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I), Manipur People’s Army (MPA), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Liberation Army (PLA), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak.

The Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) on January 29 raided the headquarters of National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) in the “Naga Self-Administrative Zone” of Sagaing region. The Myanmar Army destroyed almost all camps in the region. However, the militants fled from the Ta Ga area in Sagaing.

In the undergoing operation, the Tatmadaw arrested ULFA (I) and Manipuri militants.

Based on the complaint filed by the Myanmar army under Article 17(1) of the Unlawful Association Act of Myanmar, the sentence was announced after the sixth hearing of the case.

As per reports, the Myanmar Army informed that it had also arrested five senior leaders of the NSCN-K and charged them under the same law for harbouring Indian militants from the northeast. The NSCN- K leaders were allegedly helping the militants in their fight against India by providing shelter and allowing them to run military training institutions.

The Myanmar Army also accused the NSCN-K of violating the bilateral ceasefire agreement that signed between the two on April 9, 2012, with the Sagaing regional government.

In early March, more than a month after taking control of the NSCN-K’s headquarters at Ta Ga, the Army arrested 10 of its top leaders and six cadres. However, on April 5, it released five of detainees, identified as Tomthong, Ngaitum, Manglwan, Athrom and Longsa.