Manipur insurgency: Questions & Answers

Col R Hariharan

[Here are my answers to a few questions raised by scribes on the Manipur situation.]

Are there chances of Christian tribal outfits operating in Myanmar being involved in the Manipur (insurgent activity)? If so, what would they gain?

According to the American Baptist church website https://baptistworld.org , American Baptist churches “has had a deep and abiding relationship with Myanmar/Burma for over 200 years. It adds to say “Baptists from Myanmar came to the attention of D.C. Baptists in 1995. That year the Calvary Baptist Church began a congregation made up of varied ethnic families from Myanmar who had moved to the USA capital area from Myanmar. They established numerous congregations reflecting at least three ethnicities: Chin, Kachin, and Karen. Most of these churches became a part of the District of Colombia Baptist Church.

Today, seven percent of these churches are made up of these ethnic communities from Myanmar. They formed a multi ethnic “Burma Work Group” in 2016 to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the Baptist ministry in Myanmar. This provides an open conduit through which help in cash and kind from the US reaches the ethnic kin living in this region.

According to a note issued by DIPR, Mizoram government on February 14, 2024, a delegation of the Burma Advocacy Group, headed by Rev. Dr. Roy Medley, General Secretary Emeritus of the American Baptist Churches of the USA, convened with Chief Minister Pu Lalduhoma at his office today. They conveyed their appreciation for the warm reception and support extended to Burma refugees in Mizoram.

In the meeting, the Chief Minister discussed his recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. He conveyed that the central government has shown positive response for improving the conditions of Burma refugees and expressed readiness to assist the Mizoram government when necessary.

The Burma Advocacy Group, consisting of the American Baptist Churches, Chin Baptist Church, Karen Baptist Church, Baptist Union of Norway, and their partner churches globally, is being hosted in Mizoram by the Baptist Church of Mizoram and Lairam Jesus Christ Baptist Church. Joseph Lalhimpuia, an ordained Baptist Elder and former Member of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly, has been tasked with guiding them during their trip in Mizoram.

During the Cold War days, CIA has been providing arms to insurgent groups ostensibly to prevent Communist takeover. At the time China was providing sanctuaries and arms to Burma’s Communist insurgents who threatened to bring down the military regime in Burma. After China took a policy decision not to arm Communist insurgencies in Myanmar, the Communists were crushed. But armed ethnic groups were well established along the border areas and Myanmar military officers found it lucrative to cohabit with insurgencies involved in drug trade by cultivating marijuana and producing of methamphetamine. This encouraged a thriving market for traffic in drugs, arms, humans and timber to India and SE Asia. This has been sustaining some of the so-called separatist insurgencies like the SSA (Shan State Army).

The Chins and Kachins live in areas bordering Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram. Chins have close kinship relations with Mizos. Karens live in areas bordering Thailand. These areas [in Myanmar] have been facing insurgency for the last four decades. At one stage, Mrs Bush Jr, the wife of President of the US George W Bush Jr, was the chairman of the Baptist helpline to Karens in Myanmar. The Biden Administration’s recently passed Burma Act formalises US supplies of ‘nonlethal’ aid to the insurgent groups fighting the military junta which is ruling Myanmar for the last three years. 

After the military take over of Myanmar three years ago, the ruling junta is locked in civil war with at least a dozen insurgency groups including National League for Democracy-led Peoples Democratic Force. The military had been steadily losing ground in areas bordering India, Bangladesh, China and Thailand. In Kachin, Chin and Rakhine states bordering Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, a few thousand families of Myanmar militant groups have sought refuge with their kins on the Indian side. So Baptist Church in these states is sympathetic to their kin. The border trade facility providing movement across the border to 20 km on either side helps the situation.

The American Baptist missionaries are believed to be active in northern Myanmar for years now. Last year, the Biden administration also cleared the BURMA Act sanctioning non-lethal military aid to ethnic armed organizations (EAO) in Myanmar fighting the junta. Before her ouster, Prime Minister Hasina also claimed that a plan to create a Christian enclave was afoot in the region. So, are there fears about American involvement in the Manipur situation? 

I have already answered the part played by the US Baptist Church in Myanmar is earlier question. Of course, there is American involvement in support of insurgents fighting in Myanmar to bring down the ruling Junta. As regards former PM Sheikh Hasina’s allegations of creating a Christian enclave in areas bordering Bangladesh and Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram, needs to substantiated. To my knowledge it is still in the realm of speculation. She has also alleged that the Americans wanted to establish an air base in St Martin’s Island off the coast of Cox’s Bazar in Southeastern most tip of Bangladesh. I have stayed a few weeks in the area. In my view, the sandy island is too small in size for an airbase. The strong tidal variation in the cyclone prone area does not lend itself to the construction of any military base. 

How do you view China’s role here? 

China had been the fountainhead of arms supply and training to insurgent groups operating in India’s Northeast and Myanmar. In Cold War days, it was officially provided to Burmese Communist insurgent groups and later it was sold apparently illegally to insurgent groups which find their way to India.

China had provided arms and training to the cadres of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) to wage their separatist war for a long time. It is well documented both in India and Myanmar.

The Kanglaipak Communist Party (KCP) in Manipur, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) have also been provided arms by China. A confession by the People's Liberation Army of Manipur (PLAM) member in 2019 suggested that PLAM was in touch with China's People's Liberation Army. Sixteen platoons of PLAM returned to Manipur after receiving training in China. The sophisticated rocket weapons, drones and other modern weapons used by Kuki insurgents in Manipur indicate they were probably sourced from China either directly or through illegal means.

 Lastly, India has been building a fence along the India-Myanmar border. We have also been cooperating with Burmese forces to maintain stability along the border region. What can be done to stabilise the situation?

Building a border fence will have limited value due to the rugged nature of terrain along the border. To maintain it requires patrolling by troops which is a humongous task. However, it has some political value.

Manipur is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. It has been plagued by internecine conflicts among different ethnic groups and tribes. The State is home to the Meiteis -- the major ethnic group in the State -- who embraced Hinduism in 17th century. There are about 30 different tribes including  Nagas, Kukis, Paites, Thadous,  Simtes, Vaipheis, Raltes, Gangtes and Hmars. Unlike the Meiteis, who occupy the Imphal Valley, the other tribes inhabit the surrounding hill districts. The Meiteis constitute more than 50 per cent of the population but occupy only one-tenths of the State's area.

The Meiteis do not belong to the Scheduled Tribe (ST)-catergory while the hill tribes enjoy certain privileges like job reservation, protection of their lands from settlement and ownership by non-STs even if they are Manipuris. This has been strongly resented by the Meiteis who perceive that the hill tribes are garnering benefits disproportionate to their population. So, the problem can only be resolved only politically. However, the civil war in Myanmar has triggered the current situation and probably some security measures to cull out bad hats among refugee groups can bring back some level of normalcy.