Indian rebels into business in Maungdaw Town

An Indian insurgent group from Manipur State (one of the seven sister states in northeast India ) has set up an office in Maungdaw Town and are doing business in a big way, said a source on condition of anonymity.

The rebel group of Kathee community of India established an office at Myoma Ka Nyin Tan (Sidar Para) village in Maungdaw Township last year. They have mobile phones and computers in the office. They communicate with the world through the internet. Four to five people are staying in the office and they speak broken Bengali language to communicate with local people and speak in the Manipuri language with each other. The also speak in English with local officers.

The rebels have bought buses, Dina cars and jeeps and hired it to other people to ply the vehicles on the Maungdaw-Buthidaing high way.

Since 2002, the Indian insurgent group has been living in Nasaka ( Burma 's border security force) area No. 2 in Maungdaw's northern side near the Bangladesh border. The State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC authorities have built houses for them by forcing villagers into labor. The Nasaka provides them full security wherever they go.

Sometimes, some of the Indian rebels go to the local markets and even to Maungd Daw town for marketing. They speak Urdu with shopkeepers while marketing and buy good things. The have adequate money. Their living standard is high, a shopkeeper in Maungdaw said.

According to villagers of Waladaung village of Maungdaw Township, the rebel group grows heroin and other narcotic drugs in the jungle where the local people are prohibited from going.

Local villagers and other intellectuals of Maungdaw Township said that the ruling military junta is supporting them in every way with a purpose.

Interestingly, however, The SPDC and the Indian government have a good relation and earlier the Burmese military attacked some Indian rebel groups who were sheltered in Burma on the Indian government's say so. India also provided military equipment to Burma to push back the Indian insurgent groups. The question therefore remains why the Burmese government is providing shelter to the Manipuri rebels, the intellectuals wondered.