Myanmar Army Denies Helping Indian Govt Wipe Out Northeast Militants

Yangon, June 18, 2019:

The Myanmar military has denied reports media reports that the armed forces of the two countries have been conducting joint military operations Northeastern rebel groups, reports The Irrawady.

According to the reports, the Indian and Myanmar armed forces have conducted joint military operations against outposts of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) and the Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO).

Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun of the Tatmadaw True News Information Team denied that reports and said: “There was no joint military operation in the sense of their troops coming into our country, or our troops going into their country. But there is cooperation in arresting rebels and holding joint meetings. In that regard, however, we cooperate not only with India, but also with other neighbors,” said

India and Myanmar have held regular meetings on border security since February this year, Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun said.

He told The Irrawaddy that around four or five months ago, the Myanmar army had arrested Assam and Meitei rebels who had undergone training in Myanmar.

They then launched an investigation and found that they were stationed in the areas controlled by the NSCN-K and carried out 'clearance operations'.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy, a source close to the NSCN-K also denied there had been any joint military operations between India and Myanmar.

The Tatmadaw’s Northwestern Command raided the headquarters of the NSCN-K in the Naga Self-Administered Zone of Sagaing Division on Jan. 29, and later arrested Assam and Meitei rebels from there.

The Tatmadaw filed a complaint against 24 rebels under Article 17(1) of the Unlawful Association Act. At their sixth hearing, the Hkamti District Court sentenced them to two years in prison.

According to the Tatmadaw, the jailed rebels belong to the Manipur People’s Army (MPA), the ULFA, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), the People’s Liberation Army of Manipur (PLA) and the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK).

Major-General Tun Tun Nyi of the Myanmar military said at a press conference in early June that the Tatmadaw would continue fighting armed groups who are staging rebellions against the Indian government.

It may be mentioned that the Indian Govt has declared the NSCN-K, KLO, ULFA, NDFB, MPA, KYKL and PLA unlawful associations.

The Myanmar government signed a regional level ceasefire agreement with the NSCN-K in April 2012.

Indian Defense Ministry Secretary Sanjay Mitra and other officials paid a call on Myanmar Army chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing on May 16 in Naypyitaw.

According to the Commander-in-Chief’s Office, the two sides had held discussions as per “Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence”, a set of guidelines for international relations first laid out by China, India and Myanmar in the 1950s.

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