The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and United National Liberation Front (UNLF) rebel groups from India are helping the Burmese Army fight the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) from November last year.

“A wife of a rebel was crying secretly in her home and when a neighbour asked her what had happened, she revealed that her husband was killed in the battle along with some other Indian rebels,” said a woman from Kalemyo, Sagaing Division in Burma.

It learnt that Indian rebels wear Burmese Army uniforms in the battle field. The UNLF and PLA known as Katei rebels are used as border guard force by the Burmese Army which has allowed them to stay in Kalemyo area since 2008.

“They have free movement in Chin state” said a village leader from Teddim town.

Meitei rebel groups were shifted to settle in three places in Homalin township, Sagaing division from Chin state by the authorities after Senior General Than Shwe, junta supremo visited India last year.

“The junta proposed to settle the Indian insurgency group in Ramhlo village, Falam township of Chin state, but the rebels refused to stay in that place, which is close to the Indo-Burma border and the authorities resettled them in Homalin” said a local.

“The junta has a four lakh-strong army in the state, so Indian insurgent groups are nothing in comparison. That is why it may sound unbelievable to the international community or people at home that Indian rebels are helping the Burmese Army,” said Mr. Thangpi, spokesperson of Zomi Re-Unification Organization.

Mr. Thangpi said over telephone to Khonumthung News that the irony is Indian rebels groups can be accepted on Burmese soil and sheltered whereas the junta brutally suppressed the Saffron revolution in 2007 in its own country.

The UNLF and PLA were allowed to settle in Ton Zang Township in Chin state and Kalemyo in Sagaing division with a strength of over 400 rebels last year. But now, the junta has shifted the Katei rebels in three areas in Homalin Township in Burma.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was established under the leadership of N. Bisheswar Singh on September 25, 1978. And the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the oldest Meitei insurgent group in the State was formed on November 24, 1964 to achieve independence and a socialist society in Manipur state of India.