PREPAK alleges Kuki-Zos enjoy India’s patronage-II

Contd from previous issue
IMPHAL, Oct 9: PREPAK Interim Council Chairman Aheiba Angom continued that China’s growing influence in Myanmar has drawn the attention of the US which also has strategic interests in the region.  
The western part of Myanmar, bordering Bangladesh and India, has become crucial for China as it seeks to establish a permanent sphere of influence.
China has bolstered ties with Myanmar’s military Government, the junta, and various influential armed political groups, positioning itself as a dominant player in the country’s political landscape.
For India, balancing US interests while countering China’s expanding influence presents a significant challenge in this complex regional dynamic, the Chairman remarked.
In Myanmar’s Chin State, as well as in Rakhine State and the Sagaing Division, there are 60 sub-tribes of the Chin people. Their communities extend not only into Arunachal Pradesh but also across India’s entire Northeastern region.
 Beyond India, these tribes inhabit the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh as well. India has strategic reasons to work closely with these tribes, read the Chairman’s statement.
It said that India consistently relies on the Chin people in Myanmar to counter the pressure from Northeastern armed opposition groups that refuse to engage in negotiations.
Furthermore, India has made efforts to strengthen ties with Chin insurgents and to launch joint military campaigns against these northeastern groups. While India is pushing hard to bring these groups to the negotiating table, it is simultaneously working to contain and neutralize them, it said.
Kangleipak has seen the rise of Government-sponsored organizations that now intimidate the public whenever discussions of peace between the Kuki Zo and Meitei communities arise.
It is becoming increasingly clear that this war-like situation is a deliberate creation of the Government, escalating into sporadic armed campaigns that appear destined to continue until the people of Kangleipak face complete destruction, it continued.
With the conflict dragging on for nearly two years since May 3, 2023, it raises an important question: what is the point of India sending peacekeeping forces to other global conflict zones while allowing Kangleipak to burn?
If the Indian Government cannot manage the situation in Kangleipak, it should consider recalling its peacekeepers from abroad and abandon its aspirations of becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it asserted.
In such circumstances, the international community should reconsider its support for India, it added.
The ongoing struggle of the people of Kangleipak (Manipur) surpasses the battles of the past. While earlier wars were fought against visible enemies, the current conflict is far more intricate, involving covert operations and proxy wars, often fuelled by external interests. This makes the struggle multifaceted, both on external and internal fronts, the statement read.
Aheiba Angom asserted that the only path to freedom from the alleged colonial oppression and subjugation is to unite in a collective struggle to liberate Kangleipak from India.
The PREPAK offered its heartfelt condolences to the victims of the recent aggression by Kuki narco terrorists in Manipur.
“We mourn for those who were killed in captivity, leaving no trace of their remains. Our deepest grief and solidarity extend to all the Khun Ngakpas (Village Volunteers) and to those who have suffered due to the use of tear gas, pellet guns, and mob bombs by Indian armed forces, including those enduring distress and hardship.
“Our thoughts are especially with the families of the victims—mothers and sisters—who are left without support, particularly those in relief camps facing severe challenges after their homes have been completely burned down” the outfit conveyed.
It is imperative that this situation is addressed urgently, with decisive actions against these terrorists while ensuring that necessary aid and support are provided to the affected families, it added.
“On this solemn occasion of the 47th foundation day, the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) extends its heartfelt revolutionary salute to all the brave comrades who have made the ultimate sacrifice in our National liberation struggle to reclaim the sovereignty of Kangleipak, unlawfully annexed by India on October 15, 1949, in direct violation of international laws”, the statement continued.
It concluded by conveying revolutionary solidarity to the oppressed indigenous peoples of Kangleipak, leaders and comrades of fraternal organizations, revolutionary movements in the WESEA region, and all the oppressed and colonized peoples around the world.