India for joint ops with Myanmar to fight NE militants

New Delhi has sought for a joint operation with Myanmar to flush out anti-India insurgents from the northeastern states using that country as the base.

New Delhi has sought for a joint operation with Myanmar to flush out anti-India insurgents from the northeastern states using that country as the base.

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There are two immediate triggers for the Indian demand made ahead of the keenly-awaited state visit of new Myanmar President Thein Sein that is expected to take place in September this year.

With the new regime in Bangladesh coming down heavily on the anti-India insurgents, major separatists outfits are eyeing Myanmar — a country that shares 1,643 km boundary with India’s four northeastern states. India also shares maritime boundary with Myanmar.

The immediacy for such a joint operation is also felt in the wake of fresh intelligence reports of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) “working on the various anti-India groups based in Myanmar”.

As it warms up to roll out a red carpet to Thein Sein, India also wants to increase the security cooperation with Myanmar through more institutionalised mechanisms such as meetings at regular intervals between the chief of army staffs and naval staffs.

All major separatist outfits of northeast like the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa), cadres of the both factions of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), People’s Liberation Army of Manipur (PLA) and National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) are among the outfits trying to find greater grips in Myanmar.

“There are credible intelligence inputs about all of these inputs shifting their bases, seeking fresh pastures in Myanmar. And security has always remained right up there in our engagements with Myanmar”, said a senior official.

However, New Delhi wants to bring in greater thrust in the security cooperation through more interactions between the army and police forces of the two countries. The concrete proposals on the table include the regular visits between chief of army staffs and naval staffs of the two countries.