Factional clash kills six Manipur militants in Myanmar camp

New Delhi, Aug. 12 (IANS): At least six members of Manipur based outlawed outfit Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) have been killed and three injured in a factional battle in Myanmar, officials said on Thursday claiming that the number of slain extremists might be eight.

Security and intelligence officials familiar with the northeast India militant outfits said that six or eight PLA guerrillas were gunned down by their fellow cadres when the slain rebels tried to flee the Myanmar camp “out of frustration” on Tuesday.

“The intention of some of the PLA cadres to desert the hideout with arms led to the infighting in which “six to eight” cadres of the banned outfit were killed and three others injured,” the officials said on condition of anonymity.

The incident reportedly occurred near the Nanyang Wakathan camp of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang-Yung Aung faction) in the Sagaing region of Myanmar. The camp is across Pangsau Pass in the Changlang district of southern Arunachal Pradesh.

In the Wakathan camp of NSCN (KYA) cadres of the PLA, the most active Manipuri meitei group, are also accommodated on payment basis.

Family members of three killed PLA members were contacted and confirmed they belonged to Thoubal and Kakching areas in Manipur.

The killed PLA cadres included Self-styled Major Boycha, Leimba, Angamba, Tanthouba, Tomcha and Suresh.

The bodies of all the killed militants have been buried in Myanmar.

According to the security and intelligence officials, the PLA cadres were frustrated with the Myanmarese Army, due to demands for money and coercion to join them in dealing with the civilian resistance group People’s Defence Force (PDF) and other groups against the military junta.

The PDF is the armed wing of Myanmar’s National Unity Government in exile.

“Cash is not available as they are unable to extort money in India leading to lack of basic necessities in the militant camp, and also there is no connection with their initial ideology staying so far away from Manipur. Uninspiring leadership has made things even worse,” they said.

Members of the PLA, one of the oldest and leading banned extremist group of the region and other extremist outfits of the northeast region have been paying the NSCN (K-YA) a hefty sum annually for accommodation at its camps.

Cross border movements of militants, smuggling of drugs and various other contraband, including exotic animals and reptiles, often takes place from Myanmar, which shares 1,643 km of unfenced borders with four northeastern states — Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.

Almost every day, the Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, other government agencies and state police of different northeastern states are confiscating huge quantities of arms, ammunition and a variety of very addictive stimulant drugs mostly smuggled from Myanmar, which is under military domination since February 1.