The Military Affairs Committee of the United National Liberation Front, Manipur, (UNLF) led by Koireng, today issued a detailed statement on the occasion of the thirty-ninth Raising Day of the Manipur People’s Army (MPA), that falls on February 9, 2026.
In its message, the UNLF Military Affairs Committee conveyed revolutionary greetings and tributes to all cadres and supporters of the organisation, marking the day as the founding anniversary of the Manipur People’s Army. The committee stated that the Raising Day message was shared widely to reflect on the prevailing military and political situation in Manipur, the Western South East Asia region and neighbouring areas.
The statement highlighted the rapidly changing security environment in the region, particularly developments in Myanmar following the ongoing civil war. It described Myanmar as a focal point of major power rivalry involving countries such as India, China, Russia and the United States. According to the statement, China and Russia are backing the Myanmar military regime, while the United States and its allies are supporting forces aligned with the National Unity Government. India, it said, is maintaining a dual approach by engaging with both sides.
The UNLF-MAC further claimed that ceasefire arrangements along the China–Myanmar border have altered the balance of power, allowing the Myanmar military to regain control over strategic economic assets such as jade mines and strengthen its position in elections organised by the military-backed establishment. It asserted that while urban centres remain under military control, resistance forces aligned with the National Unity Government continue to dominate large rural areas.
Turning to the situation in Manipur, the committee alleged that the violence which began on May 3, 2023, was not merely an ethnic conflict but part of a broader geopolitical strategy involving cross-border armed groups. The statement claimed that armed Kuki groups allegedly operating from Myanmar were used as part of a larger plan, and criticised the Indian government’s characterisation of the violence as a Meitei–Kuki ethnic clash.
The statement also alleged large-scale militarisation in the state, citing movement of troops, equipment and aircraft, and claimed that the conflict has been used to justify long-term strategic objectives. According to the committee, the underlying aim is to alter demographic patterns, restrict the movement of Meitei people, and destabilise indigenous communities, including Nagas, in hill areas bordering Myanmar.
The UNLF-MAC further linked the present crisis to historical administrative decisions, including the removal of the Inner Line Permit system in 1951, which it said enabled unchecked migration and land encroachment. It criticised the absence of long-term social, political and economic planning in Manipur and highlighted poor infrastructure, healthcare access and economic interdependence as contributing factors to instability.
The statement warned that identity-based politics and fragmented development have weakened collective unity in Manipur, making the state vulnerable to external manipulation. It called upon the people of Manipur, particularly the youth, to remain vigilant, politically conscious and united against what it described as divisive policies.
The Koireng led UNLF Military Affairs Committee paid tributes to fallen cadres of the Manipur People’s Army and revolutionary fighters, extended solidarity to families affected by the ongoing violence, and reiterated its commitment to what it termed the liberation struggle. The statement ended with slogans praising the UNLF, the Manipur People’s Army and the people of the land.