The Coalition of Indigenes’ Rights Campaign has alleged that recent attacks on border villages in Manipur’s Kamjong district were part of a coordinated cross-border militant operation involving foreign-based armed groups. In a statement issued on Thursday, CIRCA strongly condemned the violence that took place on May 7 in villages located along the India-Myanmar border and described the incident as a case of “external aggression on Indian soil”. The statement was issued by the organisation’s Secretary General Leishangthem Lamyanba Meitei. According to CIRCA, heavily armed militants attacked the villages of Namlee, Wanglee and Choro in the early hours of Wednesday using sophisticated weapons.
Referring to earlier statements made by Leishiyo Keishing, the organisation alleged that the attackers included members of the Kuki National Army-Burma and the Myanmar-based People’s Defence Force. The organisation claimed that several houses were set on fire during the attacks and that civilians sustained injuries. CIRCA also alleged that the residence of the village headman in Namlee village was destroyed during the violence. According to the statement, the incident triggered panic among residents and forced many villagers, especially people belonging to indigenous communities living in border areas, to flee from their homes. CIRCA further alleged that the latest incident reflects what it described as a continuing pattern of violence and cross-border attacks in Manipur since May 3, 2023. The organisation referred to earlier incidents reported from Tronglaobi and Ukhrul in support of its claims.
“The nature, scale and frequency of these incidents raise serious apprehension about attempts at ethnic cleansing of indigenous populations residing in vulnerable areas,” the organisation stated. The group criticised the Government of India for allegedly not responding strongly enough to what it called the “external dimensions” of the Manipur crisis despite repeated allegations regarding the involvement of foreign-based militant elements.
