FROM THE DVB NEWSROOM

At least 416 Myanmar Army personnel have crossed the border into India since November, India’s army chief General Manoj Pande said at a press conference in New Delhi on Jan. 11. He blamed the military, the People’s Defense Force (PDF) and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) for the fighting which made the troops cross into India.

“Because of the situation across the Indo-Myanmar border, we also have some of the insurgent groups who are feeling the pressure and who have now attempted to come onto our side of the border in the state of Manipur,” he added.

Since Oct. 27, fighting between resistance forces and the military has spread nationwide. Indian authorities have been sending back Myanmar troops within days of them crossing the border to evade capture by Chin resistance forces and the Arakan Army (AA) in Chin State.