IMPHAL, India — Indian militant groups that previously took refuge in Myanmar and participated in its civil war have been returning to Manipur state, according to Indian security officers. Their return has intensified the ongoing ethnic conflict, which has been raging for 19 months, fueling violence with well-trained fighters and advanced weapons.
The conflict involves the Meitei community, mainly Hindu and dominant in Manipur, and the Kuki tribes, predominantly Christian. Critics argue that the violence, which has killed around 260 people and displaced over 60,000 since May 2023, represents a major failure of law and order under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
Indian military and police officers, along with politicians and rebel sources in Myanmar, report that the fighting is spreading as militants from rival groups cross the border into Manipur. The insurgents are now armed with more sophisticated weapons, including rocket launchers. In November alone, 20 people were killed in clashes. In response, the Indian government has deployed an additional 10,000 soldiers to the region, increasing the total number of troops to almost 67,000, in addition to the 30,000-strong police force.
The rise in violence has been accompanied by an increase in criminal activities, primarily extortion and the illegal drug trade, which fund the operations of the militant groups. Yumnam Joykumar Singh, a former Manipur police chief and deputy chief minister, expressed concern that insurgents, previously controlled, are regaining prominence. He mentioned that some have returned from Myanmar, with others already back in Manipur.
Manipur, a state of 3.2 million people in India's northeast, shares a border with Myanmar. The conflict began when a court order proposed giving the Meitei community the same government benefits as the historically disadvantaged Kuki tribes. Security forces have set up a buffer zone between the two groups to try to limit violence. Manipur has a long history of insurgencies, and many militants fled to Myanmar in response to military crackdowns.
Rival Militants and Weapons Flow
Meitei groups have fought on the side of Myanmar's ruling junta in the civil war, with an estimated 2,000 Meitei fighters stationed in Myanmar’s Sagaing region near the border. They have clashed with anti-junta forces, including the People's Defence Force – Kalay (PDF-K) and the Kuki National Army in northern Myanmar.
The Kukis have support from Kachin rebels and have sourced weapons from Myanmar's semi-autonomous Wa state. While some Meitei insurgents once operated in Myanmar with military backing, they are now returning to Manipur. Though it is difficult to determine the exact number of militants returning, more than 100 Meitei insurgents were arrested last year, and more than 200 this year, according to security officers and government data.
The presence of these armed groups has led to heightened tensions. "Manipur was already a problem, and now the Myanmar situation is adding to it," said Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi in October. "The battle lines are becoming more entrenched." In February, India announced plans to fence its 1,600 km border with Myanmar to curb the flow of militants and weapons.
The rival groups are increasingly armed with rocket launchers, machine guns, sniper rifles, and foreign-made weapons such as M16s, M4A1s, and AK-47s, according to reports from the military and Manipur police. Many of the weapons initially looted from state armories are now supplemented by more advanced arms brought in from Myanmar this year.
"These are two distinct conflicts: one is a struggle for freedom from military rule, and the other is an internal ethnic conflict largely inflicted by one side upon another," explained Gautam Mukhopadhaya, former Indian ambassador to Myanmar. Estimates suggest around 1,500 illegal weapons are in the Meitei-dominated valley, and 2,000 in the Kuki-majority hills, including about 6,000 weapons looted from government armories. Authorities have recovered approximately 3,000 weapons, including 2,000 stolen items.
The illegal drug trade, particularly from poppy plantations in the hills, has been another major source of funding for insurgents. These activities have become increasingly difficult to control, as armed militants protect workers involved in illegal poppy cultivation. The source of funding for these operations remains unclear, though political figures suggest that various factions are involved.
In sum, the Manipur conflict is worsening with the return of militants from Myanmar, the spread of violence, and an increasing flow of sophisticated weaponry, exacerbating the already volatile situation.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters file
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