Northeast Desk, 16th September: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has praised the Assam Rifles for their decisive action in apprehending a Burmese national, underscoring the ongoing role of external forces in the state’s unrest.
Singh reiterated his position that the prolonged conflict in Manipur is heavily influenced by foreign elements. “As a Chief Minister, I have consistently claimed from the beginning that the current crisis in Manipur is due to outsiders, foreign hand. But some people believe, some do not,” Singh remarked. His comments came in light of recent arrests, pointing to a growing belief in the involvement of foreign nationals in escalating tensions.
The Chief Minister commended the Assam Rifles for their vigilance, stating, “I appreciate the Assam Rifles, who arrested foreign nationals with evidence of supply of weapons to militants operating in Manipur.”
This follows the arrest of LS Yosef Chongloi, a high-ranking member of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA), in Guwahati on September 14. Chongloi, 34, who served as the self-styled Finance Secretary of the UKNA, was apprehended during a covert operation conducted by Assam’s Special Task Force (STF) in the Beltola area. Intelligence gathered by the Inspector General of Police (STF) led to his arrest.
Hailing from Churachandpur, Manipur, Chongloi is suspected of orchestrating numerous acts of sabotage, including the bombing of the Sapermaina bridge on National Highway 2 and an armed assault on an Indian Oil Corporation convoy in Tamenglong. Authorities are investigating his potential connections to the supply of weapons to militants operating within the state.
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