New Delhi: Raising fears that terror groups may stoke trouble in poll-bound Manipur, India has asked Myanmar to act against insurgents operating from its soil, a Union Home Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Home Secretary RK Singh in meetings with Myanmarese leaders during his just concluded trip to that country “gave an overview of the main areas of concern to India”, the spokesperson said about the visit last week.
At the 17th national level meeting between Singh and Deputy Home Minister Brig. Gen. Kyaw Zan Myint, the two sides discussed in detail security related issues like presence of anti-Indian insurgent groups along the Indo-Myanmar border, exchange of intelligence information and arms smuggling.
India shares a 1,640 km-long unfenced border with Myanmar. Militant groups operating from Myanmar usually take advantage of the porous border to foment insurgency in northeast states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
“Singh mentioned about (the terror) camps and training facilities in Myanmar and sought Myanmar’s cooperation in dealing with the activities (of insurgents),” the spokesperson said.
The Home Secretary ‘especially’ told the Myanmarese minister that insurgent groups were planning large-scale disturbances in Manipur that goes to polls on Saturday.
“The leader of Myanmar assured that they would never allow insurgents to use its territory to engage in any hostile activities against its neighbour India,” said the spokesperson.
The leaders also reiterated their commitment to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries in economic and developmental areas, build closer people to people contacts and maintain peace and tranquillity on the border.
“The two sides agreed to maintain closer interaction between the nodal points and respective commanding officers of border guarding forces of the two countries for sharing real time intelligence.”
To trace those who receive the arms smuggled into India, Singh asked Myanmar to share reports of arms smugglers arrested by security forces there, which was accepted by the Myanmar delegation. (IANS)
