JOIN USNight curfew has been imposed along 385 km Indo-Myanmar border in Ukhrul, Chandel and Churachandpur districts in Manipur for six months.
The decision was taken after the Centre and the Manipur government acted on the request of the Indian Army and the Assam Rifles.
Sources said that the magistrates of the three districts have already issued orders under Section 144 of CrPc, prohibiting any movement within 3 km from the international border. The curfew will be in force from 5pm to 5 am.
An official of the Manipur Home Department told Deccan Herald that although there was no request from Myanmar to seal the border, the decision was taken after a prolonged ‘situation analysis’.
Earlier, the Assam Rifles had requested the MHA for night curfew along the border to stop the entry of the northeast militants sheltered at bases in the Sagaing division of Myanmar. The request came after 18 Indian Army troopers were ambushed and killed by the militants near the Indo-Myanmar border in Chandel district of Manipur on June 4.
Meanwhile, the Myanmar government had signed the ceasefire accord with eight out of 15 ethnic armed groups operating in the neighbouring country. An Indian delegation led by the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval was present in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw to witness the proceedings of the signing of the accord. Myanmar has promised action against the North-East militant groups in their territory, sources added.
But, New Delhi is said to be worried with the fact that not a single major group of the Northern Myanmar, like the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) have signed the peace deal. These groups have always had ties with the Northeast rebels. Moreover, NSCN-K (a banned Naga insurgent group) chief S S Khaplang, has a huge influence on the ethnic leaders of the Northern Myanmar.
It is very unlikely that the Myanmar Tatmadaw (Myanmarese Armed Forces) will act against Khaplang’s group ahead of the polls, given the fact that the ethnic community votes are very crucial this time with a clear wave in favour of the pro-democratic leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD).