India to deploy more battalions along India-Burma border

Mizzima News: 1 April, 2002

Guwahati: Worried over the spurt in militant activities and unabated drug trafficking along the India-Burma border, the Indian Government has decided to raise 15 more battalions of the Assam Rifles. The Director General of Assam Rifles disclosed this yesterday in Guwahati.

The decision came in the wake of recent frequent attacks of the militants and in an effort to strengthen the existing Indian forces in the region. The Assam Rifles has been entrusted with the task of intensifying operations along the international border together with the Border Security Force (BSF) to scale down the insurgency in the North East India.

The Director General (DG) of the Assam Rifles, Lt. General G K Duggal while informing the media persons yesterday, said that the India-Burma border is porous and it is practically not possible to guard the vast border with the existing forces. "To cope with the situation, we have decided to strengthen the existing forces", he added.

While expressing concern at the porous international border, Duggal revealed that taking advantage of porous border, the militant groups have been smuggling arms from Burma causing a matter of concern. He also informed the media persons that some North East militant groups have full-fledged camps in Kabaw Valley (in Sagaing Division) and parts of Kachin State of Burma.

He further stated that in order to seal the border, there is an urgent need of at least 15 battalions in view of prevailing situation. Giving more details about the India-Burma border, he said that apart from militancy problem, drug trafficking is going unabated and the region has become a major transit point for narco-trafficking.

He, however, said that the Assam Rifles has been sharing intelligence reports with the Burmese army to control the problem. It may be recalled that the Government of India had deployed the Assam Rifles personnel a couple years back along the Indo-Burma border. Since then, the armed forces have been carrying out frequent operations along the border leading to arrest of several militants and seizure of arms and ammunitions. He also informed that several areas of Manipur State, bordering Burma are left unguarded due to lack of armed forces.

Asked about United National Liberation Front (UNLF) militants who were arrested by the Burmese Army in Tamu in Sagaing Division and later reportedly released by the Burmese authorities, he said: "We have no information about the militants. Despite our repeated requests, the Burmese army is not willing to divulge the details in this regard”.