PTI
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 13
India on Tuesday claimed that a camp allegedly belonging to NSCN-K, a banned Naga insurgent group responsible for killing of 18 Army soldiers in Manipur in June, was demolished along the Indo-Myanmar border by the Myanmarese security forces last weekend.
The camp, located at Myanmarese village Monlei, across Tuensang in Nagaland, was completely destroyed by the Myanmarese Army, official sources quoted reports from Myanmar as saying.
The camp was located in the same area where Indian Army carried out operations against NSCN-K during which top government officials had claimed loss to the group. However, there was no clarity on the casuality in that operation and the NSCN-K had claimed that no operation had been carried out inside the Myanmarese territory.
The camp was located just across the Indo-Myanmar border and perhaps the authorities in that country did not want such camps to continue near the border, the sources said, explaining the reason for Myanmarese forces destroying the camp.
The NSCN-K, which abrogated ceasefire with the government in March, has been involved in a series of attacks on security forces in recent past.
The government declared NSCN-K a banned outfit last month.
In a pre-dawn cross-border operation in June, elite commandos of the Indian Army in coordination with the Air Force went a few kilometres inside Myanmarese territory to destroy two camps of insurgents hiding there after attacks in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh by suspected NSCN-K and KYKL outfits.
India instigates Myanmar Army to carry out operations against us: NSCN(K)
The NSCN (K) on Tuesday accused a commander from the Myanmar army of engaging at military operations against the former at the behest and “dictate” of the Indian army.
A press statement from the outfit said that the NSCN (K) was “perplexed beyond understanding” by the “recent Myanmar Military operations in Myanmar occupied Naga country.” According to the NSCN (K), on September 30 last, there was a “flag meeting” between Myanmar Army and Indian Army at International border (Pangsha), in which the “Myanmar Army commander stationed across the border (Solo Camp) registered a strong protest against the illegal Indian Army cross border raid of 28th August 2015 in which several innocent Myanmar Naga citizens were also grievously injured by Indian Army.” The same commander also strongly defended the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Myanmar and cautioned the Indian counterpart to refrain from repeating such unilateral actions violating the sanctity of Myanmar union in future, it stated. However, Lt. Col. Min Thaw Hein of 364 Bn, who according to the NSCN (K), is the “Myanmar Army operation commander”, acted in the “most bizarre manner” in complete contradiction to the national principle maintained by his colleague during the flag meet.
On reaching Pou Nyiu village (NSCN temporary shelter) after the flag meet, it stated, Lt. Col. Min Thaw Hein inquired of the whereabouts of NSCN camp and workers and expressed his desire to meet NSCN representatives who, by then, had vacated the shelter entirely.
“The NSCN chose to vacate the temporary camp in upholding the bilateral ceasefire agreement between the NSCN and Nyapithaw government and expected the Myanmar operation commander to uphold the same. However, on learning of NSCN having left the village, the said commander became infuriated and started harassing the village folks, asked the villagers to present NSCN members to him and accused the village of sheltering and shielding the NSCN.
“When the village representatives politely asked the commander of the existence of ceasefire and peaceful relationship between the two entities, the commander harshly retorted that the mainland Myanmar Army command is not aware of the ceasefire agreement or does not have any concern for such agreement between the NSCN and Nyapithaw. Ordered the gathering of village authority and elders and declared before them that he is on a mission to apprehend and evict the NSCN strictly on the directives of the government of India to launch offensive crackdown on NSCN taking refuge inside Myanmar.”
He further stressed that NSCN members camping at Pou Nyiu village were responsible for the attacks and killings of hundreds of Indian Army in India and that he will completely “flush out” the NSCN (K) from the area as directed by Indian Army, it stated.
“Lt.Col. Min Thaw Hein continued to maintain that the public would have perished or suffered irreparably had Indian Army themselves came raiding and must therefore be grateful that he was being modest. It is beyond comprehension to witness a senior commander instead of securing her border and ensuring safety of her own citizen on the contrary openly heralds the directives and desires of other country.
“Compromises the internal peace, harmony and national security of his own nation by attacking the entity at peace (NSCN) meanwhile propagates the ideology of a neighboring country by accepting a huge bribe. While the Myanmar Union is besieged with internal conflicts and hundreds of her soldiers are killed each day in the battle zone with various political parties, a senior commander of a national Army deployed in a sensitive international border instead of expressing concern and garnering support for his Army engaged in daily warfare in his own homeland chose to honor and mourn hundreds of Indian Army casualties and pursues vengeance against NSCN, an entity that maintains ongoing peace process with Nyapithaw.”
It stated that the “pre-mediated and India dictated actions and speeches” of Lt.Col.Min thaw Hein undermines the sovereignty of Myanmar, threatens his own national peace and a national disgrace that he opts to promote the agenda of the Indian Army.
“The temporary refuge the People’s Army of Nagaland/Naga Army, NSCN established at Pou Nyiu and Langtin villages were thus burnt to ashes and all the belongings destroyed in fire, yet NSCN’s Naga Army maintained utmost restraint in honor of the bilateral ceasefire agreement. However, even endurance has its limit and NSCN shall not be allowed to be taken for granted repeatedly.”
