In what appears to be part on the ongoing Peoples’ Democratic Front (PDF) led offensives in Myanmar’s Sagaing district, a camp said to belong to the proscribed Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) a Valley Based Insurgent Group (VBIG) of Manipur was captured by Burmese Resistance Forces. The operation which was carried out by the PDF on November 23 at Thanang village near Tamu close to the India-Myanmar border town of Moreh is believed to have been launched following news that the PLA cadres were operating in the area along with the Burmese junta.
Notably, only recently the PDF during its operations on November 10 at a junta base at Khampat village which is close to the India-Myanmar border in Moreh had recovered arms, ammunitions, aadhar cards and a flag allegedly belonging to the PLA. NUG sources said they were examining the recovery which also had identity cards resembling “Kathe” (as Meitei people are known in Burmese). The strategic Khampat town in the Sagaing division was attacked by PDF, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Chinland Defence Force (CDF).
In the attack on November 23, the PDF is said to have been assisted by the local outfits from Sagaing and also the neighbouring Chin state. The attack at Thanang reportedly lasted for over an hour. A significant cache of arms and ammunition was recovered and transported using three trucks. Sources suggest that the motive behind the attack is linked to the alleged collaboration between the Meitei armed groups and the SAC.
The PDF has been emphasising their position that it would not spare any group associated with the SAC led by junta senior general Min Aung Hlaing. In fact, NUG spokesperson Kyaw Zaw in a conversation recently said that the PDF would not single out the PLA or another armed groups from across the border, but that if they are found to be associated with the junta then they would not be spared.
Sources in the PDF have been voicing their concern about the “strong ties between the Meitei armed groups with the SAC.” Members of the Burmese resistance forces having said that Kathe groups “have had joint exercises with the junta in the border areas and that these actions have affected the spring revolution in Myanmar.
It may be mentioned that recently reports said that investigations carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) a day after arresting a trained operative of the PLA, suggested that that proscribed organisations based in Myanmar are recruiting workers to carry out attacks on security forces and members of opposing ethnic groups in Manipur.
