Police and security personnel in Manipur. Representative image.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Guwahati: The suspense over the killing of 10 "Myanmar-based armed cadres" by Assam Rifles along the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur on May 14 deepened with the National Unity Government (NUG), Myanmar's government-in-exile, contradicting the claim by Indian forces and seeking an inquiry.
The NUG was formed by "pro-democracy protesters" after the Myanmar military had successfully staged a coup in 2021 and ousted the elected government led by Nobel laureate, Aung Saan Suu Kyi.
Days after Assam Rifles claimed that the 10 were killed after they illegally crossed the border and tried to disturb the ongoing work to fence the border in Chandel district, the NUG on Tuesday issued a statement contradicting the claim. The NUG said they were cadres of its armed wing, People's Defence Organisation (PDO).
The NUG also urged India to temporarily suspend "unilateral" border fencing activities in areas with unresolved border demarcation. Manipur shares a 398-km porous border with Myanmar.
"The NUG believes that this tragic event does not reflect the official policy or intent of the Government of India. We reaffirm our commitment to continued co-operation on border-related matters, consistent with the longstanding, neighbourly relations between our two nations," said the statement issued by NUG's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Possible fallout:
The incident took place despite the fact that several leaders of the NUG have been taking shelter in the Northeast in view of the armed conflict with the military regime in Myanmar. More than 35,000 Myanmar nationals, including MPs, MLAs, and Ministers of Suu Kyi government, have been taking shelter in Mizoram and Nagaland.
Realising that this could jeopardise their relations with India and their fight against the military, NUG asked all Myanmar nationals, both in Myanmar and in India, to refrain from any actions that could "negatively affect" bilateral relations. "In particular, we strongly encourage the revolutionary groups operating along the border to avoid any activities that may be perceived as unlawful. We further call for continued cooperation with relevant authorities to uphold the rule of law, including efforts to prevent the illegal trade and transportation of narcotics along the Indo-Myanmar border."
The incident took place amid growing protests against the Centre's decision to fence the 1,643km border with Myanmar, in Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.