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India: Troubled Borders In Arunachal Pradesh – Analysis

By Priyanka Devi Kshetrimayum On January 15, 2025, Police arrested one operative of United Tani Army (UTA) identified as Tana Hasi from Itanagar in Papum Pare District, for his suspected role in carrying out recruitment of operatives for the outfit. Inspector General of Police (IGP) (Law & Order) Chukhu Apa stated that Hasi, along with the self-styled 'chairman' of UTA, Anthony Doke, had been carrying out recruitment of youth for UTA using various platforms, including social media. On January 9, 2025, a gun battle erupted between Security Forces (SFs) and militants of the Yung Aung faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K-YA), at Longka village in the Changlang District. No casualties were reported from either side. On January 6, 2025, suspected NSCN-K-YA militants abducted two male workers from an illegal timber camp at the Longvi village of Changlang District, near the Indo-Myanmar border. The abduction of the two workers is believed to be related to ongoing extortion demands. These three insurgency-related incidents have been recorded in the State in 2025, thus far (data till February 23, 2025) According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), a single fatality was recorded in 2024 (data till February 23, 2025), where a cadre of NSCN-K-YA, identified as 'major' Gangjun Gangsa, was killed in a clash with the Assam Rifles in Longding District, on October 25. The NSCN-K-YA initiated the attack by firing at Assam Rifles personnel while they were moving from Wakka towards the Indo-Myanmar Border. In 2023, five (three terrorists, one civilian and one SF trooper) were killed in four separate incidents. Among the insurgents killed, one each belonged to the United Liberation Front of Asom - Independent (ULFA-I), the Niki Sumi-led faction of NSCN-K (NSCN-K-NS) and NSCN-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM). Since March 6, 2000, when SATP started compiling data, a total of 245 fatalities (176 insurgents, 38 SFs and 31 civilians) have been recorded in the State. In 2025, one incident of arrest has been recorded, in which a UTA cadre (of January 15, above) was arrested in Papum Pare District. In 2024, a total of 23 insurgents were arrested in 11 separate incidents - NSCN-IM, 12; ULFA-I; eight and one each from NSCN-K-YA, NSCN-Unification (NSCN-U) and NSCN-K. In 2023, 39 insurgents were arrested in the State in 26 separate incidents -NSCN-K-YA, 20; ULFA-I, eight; NSCN-IM, six; NSCN-Reformation (NSCN-R) and NSCN-K, two each; NSCN-K-NS, one. Since March 6, 2000, a total of 749 insurgents have been arrested in the State. Four militants surrendered in 2024 in three separate incidents, including two from NSCN-U in Changlang District and one each from NSCN-K and ULFA-I in Tirap and Changlang Districts, respectively. In 2023, 24 insurgents surrendered in nine separate incidents: Eastern Naga National Government (ENNG), 15; NSCN-IM and ULFA-I, two each; and NSCN-K-YA, NSCN-R, NSCN-K, Eastern Naga National Organisation (ENNO) and NSCN-K-NS, one each. Since March 6, 2000, a total of 214 insurgents have surrendered in the State. As usual, the abduction and extortion campaign of militants, principally by NSCN-K-YA, in the state continued in 2024. Some of the incidents of such activities included: As reported on December 3, NSCN-K-YA issued a demand of INR 2 million from Oil India Limited (OIL), a prominent petroleum company operating in the Manabhum Reserve Forest in the Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh. The extortion note was delivered to the company's office in the Manabhum Reserve Forest by a self-styled 'major' of NSCN-K-YA, identified as Tha Aung, and set a deadline of December 10, 2024, for the payment. OIL Spokesperson Prankush Malla Buzarbaruah accepted that the company had received the extortion note from the outfit. On November 24, two civilians, Vignesh Kumar Jha and Bishnu Chetry, were abducted by a 10-member heavily armed group of NSCN-K-YA from a bridge construction site located between the Pongchau and Konnu villages in Longding District. The group was led by NSCN-K-YA 'leader' Akham Konyak. On February 18, ten workers employed at the Finboro Coal Mine in Changlang District, were abducted because of the failure to comply to an extortion demand by suspected militants of NSCN-K-YA and ULFA-I. A group of seven armed militants held the workers at gunpoint and transported them in a dumper truck towards Old Longtoi, a remote location within Arunachal Pradesh. SFs later rescued seven out of 10 coal miners. ULFA-I, later, released the remaining three, identified as Gyan Thapa, Lekhan Bora and Chandan Narzari, on March 22, at Lalpul near Longvi in Nampong in Changlang District, which was disclosed by ULFA-I's 'spokesperson' Rumel Asom. The 'overflow' of insurgency in three districts, Tirap, Changlang, and Longding (TCL) located along the Indo-Myanmar border remains a concern. SAIRnoted, earlier, that the TCL region served as the 'axis' of conflict in the State. Activities of insurgent groups from other States, primarily Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, affect the TCL Districts of the State - all lying on the Indo-Myanmar border. Further, SAIR noted earlier, Arunachal Pradesh continues to be used as a transit route by various militant groups, whose camps are situated in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. The TCL region recorded 189 fatalities (133 terrorists, 29 SF personnel and 27 civilians) out of the 245 fatalities in the State since March 2000. The nine districts which recorded fatalities since March 2000 are: Tirap (110 fatalities: 76 terrorists, 18 SF personnel and 16 civilians), Changlang (50 fatalities: 32 terrorists, 10 SF personnel, and eight civilians), Lohit (39 fatalities: 35 terrorists, three civilians and one trooper), Longding (29 fatalities: 25 terrorists, three civilians and one trooper), West Kameng (five SF personnel), Anjaw (one terrorist), Papum Pare (one civilian), Kurung Kumey (one SF trooper) and Namsai (one SF trooper). Meanwhile, Naga nationalism and the demand for a Naga sovereign State, Nagalim, which includes the Naga inhabited areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and some portions of Myanmar, play an important role in the Naga armed movement in Arunachal Pradesh. Significantly, on January 27, 2024, ENNG merged with NSCN-IM after a request by the 'president' of ENNG, Tosham Mossang, and its 'general secretary' Sompai Pongha, to NSCN-IM, on January 21, 2024. After the merger, on January 28, 2024, NSCN-IM's 'ministry of information and publicity' stated, In approaching the NSCN for merger, the ENNG 'president' and 'general secretary' stated that they sincerely support the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, signed on the basis of giving recognition to the sovereign right of Nagalim. With this merger they believe it will motivate the people of Tirap, Changlang and Longding (TCL) in Arunachal and allow them to get more involved and active towards the Naga national movement. Not surprisingly, on September 25, 2024, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) issued a notification under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) that the act has been extended for another six months in several regions of Arunachal Pradesh. The UMHA notification observed, Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the State of Assam, are declared as 'disturbed area' under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, for a period of six months with effect from 01.10.2024, unless withdrawn earlier. In reviewing the security situation in the TCL region on February 17, 2025, Lieutenant General (Retd.) K.T. Parnaik, Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, emphasized the Government's responsibility and commitment to maintain peace in the TCL region. He also warned that any anti-national elements in the region would face "severe consequences", and reiterated that citizens of the State would be protected from "outside influence and intimidation." Further, he highlighted the strategic significance of border security and the initiation of necessary steps to protect the interests of the nation and welfare of citizens residing in the border areas. At the end of 2024, a new insurgent outfit, the United Tani Army (UTA), released several videos of its training camps, which was made available by its 'chairman' Anthony Doke (the 'chief' of the short-lived National Socialist Council of Taniland) on December 31. The videos demonstrated the presence of weapons and operatives in the camps, though the location of the camps remained unknown. In an interview, Doke alleged that the Government of India did not care about the areas inhabited by the Tani tribes and that he would later present a 'detailed plan' for his group. An unnamed official disclosed that Doke was based in Myanmar, and that "the camps shown in the videos look likely to be that of the NSCN (K-YA). He is trying to revive the UTA with the help of Naga militants." On January 17, 2025, after the arrest of UTA cadre and main recruiter Tana Hasi, on January 15, 2025, the Arunachal Police asked the UTA cadres to return to the mainstream. The Police stated, Return voluntarily to your families and communities. No legal action will be taken against you if you come forward on your own. We understand that many of you may have been misled or pressured into joining. If you step back now, we will provide you with support to reintegrate into society and pursue a better future.  The immediate response of Government agencies has undermined the emergence of new insurgent group in the State. However, constant disturbances by banned organisations operating in India's Northeast remain a challenge in Arunachal State. Given the State's strategic location for insurgent groups operating in the region along the Indo-Myanmar border, militant groups continue to exploit the region's vulnerabilities in pursuit of their goals and agendas. Priyanka Devi KshetrimayumResearch Associate, Institute for Conflict Management