Myanmar’s crack down on North East’s insurgents has earned the Indian Army’s appreciation.

Lauding Myanmar government, Eastern Army Commander Lt General MM Naravane said they (Myanmar authorities) were very much on India’s side with regard to taking action against insurgent outfits from North-East region who use Myanmar areas bordering the NE states as safe haven.

“We have been talking to them (Myanmar government) and in fact we have made a lot of progress. As we speak now, operations are already on inside Myanmar by the Myanmar Army and they are operating against the Indian insurgents who are sheltering in their country”, Naravane, chief of the Army’s Eastern Command,  said in the sideline of a function at the Eastern Command HQ at the historic Fort William here.

“They (Myanmar government) are very much on our side as far as not giving shelter to any terrorist and not allowing any terrorist action to take place or emanate from their side”, Naravane added.

Starting from January, Myanmarese troops have turned the heat on Indian rebel groups. The headquarters of the NSCN (K) in Ta Ga village, located in the Sagaing region of Myanmar, has been captured.

Operation is underway against NSCN (K), United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (S), Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), People’s Democratic Council of Karbi-Longri (PDCK) and Meitei insurgent groups such as KangleiYawolKannaLup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and United National Liberation Front (UNLF).

Regarding the security situation in NE region—where suspected NSCN (K) rebels recently killed two Assam Rifles jawans  at Mon district of Nagaland near the Indo-Myanmar border—Naravane said, “there is nothing very serious and everything is very much under control”.

The Indian Army commander said that though the Naga rebels were party to a ceasefire agreement, there were some “rogue elements” among them who were responsible for such acts.

“Ceasefire is there but there are rogue elements in these groups who do not abide by their own higher command or the chain of command unlike the Army who are very strict in implementing orders. The rogue elements are the ones who are doing these activities. It is upto the (rebel) groups to rein in their own rogue elements lest things spiral out of control,” Naravane stated.