In A First, Myanmar Hands Over 22 Terrorists To India After Ajit Doval Maneuvers

NEW DELHI: IN A MAJOR SUCCESS for India, Myanmar army today handed over 22 militants from North East India, including top UNLF and NDFB commanders to India. These militants hail mostly from Assam and Manipur.

The militants were brought by a special flight, and the entire operation was led by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The deportation is being seen as a huge success for back-door diplomacy as it clearly indicates that Naypyidaw is in sync with New Delhi on dealing with insurgents.

The handing over of the insurgents by Myanmar Army is part of the united operations carried out by India and Myanmar against the separatist outfits in Myanmar.

This is in a first when the Myanmar government has acted on India’s request to hand over the leaders of the northeast insurgents groups.

The insurgents who have been brought back include NDFB (S) “home secretary” Rajen Daimary, Sanatomba Ningthoujam of UNLF, and Pashuram Laishram of PREPAK.

“The handing of the insurgents over to India by Myanmar is possibly the result of backdoor diplomacy,” a senior functionary in government states.

According to him, in January last year, the military of Myanmar had carried out a series of operations against insurgents from India’s northeast. A number of them were apprehended and some were also jailed. “Myanmar security forces were given precise and accurate location on insurgents by Indian security agencies,” he adds.

NSA Doval has been working with Myanmar military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing to get the insurgents deported for the last one year.

According to Indian security agencies, most insurgent groups in the northeast operate from Myanmar soil as it is considered as a safe haven. They have their camps there where they train newly-recruited members.

“These 22 insurgents who have been handed back were nabbed in an operation by Myanmar army in Sagaing Region last year in February/March,” explains an officer on the northeast desk.

Twelve of the insurgents who have been brought back are from Manipur. They belong to groups such as United National Liberation Front (UNLF), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL).

Of the remaining 10, five are from the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-S) and the others from Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO).

from League of India