People's Liberation Army of Manipur

{{infobox war faction

| name = People's Liberation Army of Manipur

| native_name = Yawoll lanme

| native_name_lang =

| image = 200px

| caption = Flag of the People's Liberation Army of Manipur

| active = 25 September 1978
({{age in years and days|1978|9|25}})

| ideology = Communism
Mao Zedong Thought
Separatism

| leaders = N. Bisheshwar Singh {{POW}} (1978–1981)
Thoudam Kunjabehari {{KIA}} (1981–1982)
Irengbam Chaoren{{Natural Causes}}(1982–2023)
Manoharmayum Ngouba (2023–present)

| clans = Salai Taret 7 clans

| headquarters = Manipur

| area = Northeast India

| size = 3,800 (2008)

2,000 (2023){{cite web | url=https://theprint.in/politics/irengbam-chaoren-elusive-chief-of-manipur-terror-outfit-rpf-believed-talks-cant-win-freedom/1368666/ | title=Irengbam Chaoren, elusive chief of Manipur terror outfit RPF, believed 'talks can't win freedom' | website=ThePrint | date=13 February 2023 }}

| predecessor =

| motives = Establish an independent state of Manipur

| successor =

| allies = NSCN-K, Corcom, ULFA.

| opponents = {{flag|India}} (PLA is designated as a terrorist organisation by the Government of India{{cite web |url=http://www.nia.gov.in/banned_org.aspx |title=Banned Terrorist Organisations |publisher=National Investigation Agency (NIA) |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110115355/http://www.nia.gov.in/banned_org.aspx |archivedate=10 January 2016 |df=dmy-all }})

| battles = Insurgency in Northeast India
Naxalite-Maoist insurgency

| url =

}}

The People's Liberation Army of Manipur (PLA-MP or PLAM), often shortened to the People's Liberation Army, is a militant group fighting for the creation of an independent and socialist Manipur, a state in northeastern India.

History

The group founded by N. Bisheshwar Singh on 25 September 1978.{{Cn|date=October 2023}} Since its founding, it has been waging guerrilla warfare as part of the Insurgency in Manipur against the Indian Armed Forces, and has targeted the Indian Army, Indian Paramilitary Forces and the State Police Force.{{Cn|date=October 2023}} However, during the late nineties, it declared a unilateral decision not to target the Manipur Police.{{Cn|date=October 2023}}

The death of some top leaders in combat (like President Thoudam Kunjabehari in 1982), and the arrest of others (like N. Bisheshwar, arrested in 1981) decreased its military activity in the eighties.{{Cn|date=October 2023}} In 1989, a political wing called the Revolutionary People's Front (RPF) was formed.{{Cite web|title=People's Liberation Army: Incidents and Statements involving People's Liberation Army: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2000-2012 |publisher=South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) |url=https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/manipur/terrorist_outfits/pla.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121181158/https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/manipur/terrorist_outfits/pla.htm |archive-date=21 January 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }} The RPF formed a government in exile in Bangladesh, led by Irengbam Chaoren, and began a restructuring of the organisation. The Organisation become very active. Its operation was divided into four sections: Sadar Valley West Hill areas of Manipur, Sadar Hill areas in the east Valley, Hill areas of Manipur and Imphal valley, each with a commander, and other ranks.{{Cn|date=October 2023}}

Organisation

The PLA has an estimated strength of some 3 800 as of 2008.{{Cn|date=October 2023}}

PLA-MP is also a member of the Manipur Peoples Liberation Front, an umbrella organization of several Manipur secessionsts groups; namely, the UNLF and PREPAK.

On 29 July 2020, three Indian soldiers in the Assam Rifles were killed and six injured in an ambush in Manipur's Chandel district near the Indo-Myanmar border.{{Cn|date=October 2023}}

In 2019, a confession by a PLAM member suggested that PLAM was in touch with Chinese People's Liberation Army. Sixteen platoons of PLAM returned to Manipur after receiving their training in China.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-13 |title=How Manipur conflict fits into broader game plan of China |url=https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/how-manipur-conflict-fits-into-broader-game-plan-of-china-13119162.html |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}

Through the 2023 Manipur violence, the separatist PLAM as well as Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) witnessed a surge in recruitment of new and previously surrendered soldiers.{{Cite web |last=Saikia |first=Arunabh |date=2023-09-02 |title=The return of Meitei insurgents marks a new turn in Manipur conflict |url=https://scroll.in/article/1055257/the-return-of-meitei-insurgents-marks-a-new-turn-in-manipur-conflict |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=Scroll.in |language=en-US}}

On 25 February 2023, after the original chairman Irengbam Chaoren died of illness, Vice Chairman Manoharmayum Ngouba took over Irengbam's position as chairman.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-25 |title=MM Ngouba the new president of RPF |url=https://wesealiberation.com/mm-ngouba-the-new-president-of-rpf/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=Wesea Liberation |language=en-US}}

References

External links

[http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/Results.aspx?perpetrator=6001 Description of the Organisation at Start Center: National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism]
[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/rpf.htm History and Organisation details at Global Security.org]

Category:1978 establishments in Manipur

Category:Ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar

Category:Far-left politics in India

Category:Guerrilla organizations

Category:Insurgency in Northeast India

Category:Military units and formations established in 1978

Category:National liberation movements

Category:Naxalite groups

Category:Organisations based in Manipur

Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by India

Category:Organizations based in Asia designated as terrorist

Category:Political parties established in 1978