NEW DELHI: The Myanmar junta continues to lose control of many places after ethnic war raged across the country. In the latest, the junta troops and police in Rakhine state have reportedly abandoned nearly 40 positions after they were attacked by the Arakan Army as a part of Operation 1027.
“These clashes are going to have an impact on India’s Kaladan Multimodal Transit Project as it is located in the Rakhine state. With over Rs 3,200 crore spent on it, this project that began in 2008 isn’t complete. The objective of this 109-km project is to link India and Myanmar via the Bay of Bengal,’’ said a source.
It has been a few weeks since ethnic groups began to show resistance to the junta government which seems to be losing its stronghold and interest too, experts say. “Many members of the junta have left Myanmar, and some have relocated to Thailand as they want stability. India will have to say something soon as they have have a 1643-km border with Myanmar and cannot ignore the instability as it will have a spillover in India too,’’ the source said.
India has not yet issued any statement on the civil war-like situation in Myanmar, nor made any comment. On Tuesday Arakan Army reportedly breached an informal ceasefire that it had agreed with the junta last November in Rakhine state. Meanwhile, resistance forces in Chin state have taken control of the Indian border town of Reh Khaw Da in Falam township after seizing two junta bases, according to claims made by Chin National Front (CNF).
While the CNF lost six soldiers, seven junta soldiers are said to have surrendered. Reh Khaw Deh is on the main trade route to India in northern Chin state and is famous for the heart-shaped Reh lake. Myanmar’s junta has lost control of many sections of its border along China too. According to reports, Operation 1027 has managed to overrun more than 100 military outposts along the Chinese border along the China Myanmar Economic Corridor.
The clashes between the junta and the ethnic groups could be a turning point in Myanmar’s struggle against military rule. However, this could pose challenges for its neighbours like India. It is not clear yet on whether the ethnic groups in Myanmar will unite to overthrow the junta or fight among themselves to establish supremacy.
Myanmar’s junta is facing their biggest challenge since taking power in a 2021 coup after three ethnic minority forces launched a coordinated offensive in late October, capturing some towns and military posts. The military-appointed president last week said Myanmar was at risk of breaking apart because of an ineffective response to the rebellion — the most significant fight back since the 2021 coup deposed the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
According to reports, there were 31,364 Myanmar nationals living in different parts of Mizoram as of last week. Most of them live in relief camps, while others are accommodated by their local relatives and some live in rented houses.