Myanmar Insurgents Fueling Ethnic Conflict in Manipur with Sophisticated Arms

GG News Bureau
Imphal, 20th Dec. The ethnic conflict in Manipur has intensified as Indian insurgent groups returning from Myanmar bring advanced weaponry and combat experience, security officials revealed. This resurgence of violence between the Meitei community and Kuki tribes has claimed over 260 lives since May 2023, displacing more than 60,000 people.

The conflict, initially sparked by a court order concerning benefits for the Meiteis, has escalated with the influx of insurgents armed with rocket launchers, machine guns, and sniper rifles. November alone witnessed 20 fatalities, prompting the Centre to deploy 10,000 additional troops to the region, raising the total force to nearly 67,000 personnel.

Indian security forces report that Meitei insurgents, who previously fought alongside Myanmar’s military junta, are crossing back into Manipur. Simultaneously, Kuki groups have secured arms and support from anti-junta rebel factions in Myanmar. The arms trade, extortion, and illegal drug activities are funding the rival factions, officials said.

Both communities have amassed extensive arsenals, including weapons looted from state armories in the early days of the conflict. Authorities have recovered around 3,000 stolen weapons but estimate that thousands remain in circulation.

Efforts to curb the conflict include plans to fence the porous 1,600-km border with Myanmar and ongoing recovery operations targeting illegal arms and poppy plantations. However, experts warn that the overlap of Myanmar’s civil war and Manipur’s ethnic conflict continues to exacerbate the region’s instability.

Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi highlighted the growing complexity, stating, “Manipur was a problem, and now you have the Myanmar problem also coming in. The battle lines are getting hardened.”

The government, security forces, and stakeholders face a challenging task of addressing both the local ethnic strife and the cross-border insurgency that is fueling it.