Hype regarding a growing Indo-Burma relationship notwithstanding, ties between the two neighbours seem tenuous. The Government of India has taken a serious view with respect to a series of incidents that have occurred around the border post of Moreh.

On June 9 in Moreh, eleven people were killed, triggering fear and sending people fleeing the border town for refuge in Burma.

Charges and counter-charges were hurled between the United National Liberation Front (Manipur) and the Kuki National Organization and Army following the Moreh killings, each accusing the other of being responsible for the spate of killings.

Normalcy did however return to Moreh a few days after the incident.

New Delhi blames Burma for the violence and is of the view that the killings were carried out from across the border.

“New Delhi has categorically told Yangon that it would be held responsible if such unseemly incidents occur in the future,” a source in the Ministry of Defense said.

“The basic objective of the tough talk by Delhi is to convey the message that it wants the neighbouring country not to offer shelter to any of the militant groups’ active in the northeast region of India,” the source added.

India had earlier asked Burma to clear the camps of militant outfits, and reports had filtered in that efforts were underway to identify the exact location of the camps so that operations could be launched.

To date, however, no such operations are known to have been undertaken.