Myanmar promise on flushout

A member of the Manipur Polo Association presents a kangjei to a Myanmarese delegate in Imphal on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Imphal, Nov. 10: Myanmar today assured India that it would not allow militants from the Northeast to take shelter in the country and carry out subversive activities from its soil.

The assurance was given by a strong delegation of the Myanmarese army to the Indian army during a meeting at Leimakhong army cantonment, the headquarters of the 57 Mountain Division at Leimakhong in Sadar Hills this morning.

This is the 38th Indo-Myanmar bi-annual liaison meeting. A 15-member Myanmarese delegation led by Brig. Gen. Tin Maung Ohn attended the meeting.

The delegation arrived yesterday and will return tomorrow.

The Indian army delegation was headed by chief of staff of the 3 Corps, Maj. Gen. S.S. Pawar. The meeting reviewed the security scenario along the international border and cooperation and relationship between the two countries.

After the meeting Gen. Pawar termed the meeting fruitful, cordial and smooth. Both sides exchanged views on working on security measures required for controlling insurgency in both countries and to check cross-border movement of insurgents.

The meeting also discussed the need to flush out Northeast insurgents from Myanmar. “The Myanmarese delegation assured us that insurgents from the Northeast would not be allowed to work from their soil. They also assured us that they have started working on this,” Gen. Pawar said.

This is for the first time that the Myanmarese army has given a categorical assurance to India that the country would not allow militants from this side of the border to take shelter in the country and intends to flush them out.

Top army officers on this of the border have been complaining that militants from the Northeast set up camps in Myanmar and the country is not doing anything to flush them out.

Till today, the Myanmarese response was that it would oust the rebels if their camps existed in the country.

The assurance given by the Myanmarese delegation is being considered by the army here as an acceptance of the fact that Northeast insurgents were camping there. The Indian delegation also informed the Myanmarese delegation about construction of fences in the Moreh sector. In the first phase, the border fencing would be constructed from border pillars 71 to 81. The Myanmarese team said it was aware of the fencing plan.

The team visited Loktak lake this afternoon before witnessing an exhibition match of Manipuri polo, arambai (warfare) and tent pegging at Imphal pologround.

The event was sponsored by the GOC, 57 Mountain Division Maj. Gen. Shakti Gurung, and organised by Manipur Equestrian Association, All Manipur Arambai Association and Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091111/jsp/northeast/story_11724149.jsp