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Influence Ops & Disinformation in India’s Northeast

Army personnel guard the streets after violent protests in Minuthong, Imphal, on Tuesday. (Express Photo)
Army personnel guard the streets after violent protests in Minuthong, Imphal, on Tuesday. (Express Photo)

In the meeting between the Special Representatives of India and China, NSA Ajit Doval and Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, on December 18, 2024, China proposed boundary changes or a package deal (not made public) impinging on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, which has been rejected by New Delhi (https://www.thestrategicperspective.org/articles/india-china-special-representatives-met/); although in absence of an official notification of the “rejection”, there is speculation that India may have accommodated what Beijing wants.

On December 27, China approved construction of the world’s largest dam, at an estimated cost of $17 billion, on Brahmaputra River close to its border with India. China says the dam will not “negatively affect” the lower states, which is far from the truth. China has been weaponizing water since a long time by exploiting the waters of Tibet.

China has extensive cyber prowess (https://www.sps-aviation.com/experts-speak/?id=907&h=Chinas-Damning-Cyber-Prowess), which it can use for spying, and sabotage (https://www.sps-aviation.com/experts-speak/?id=894&h=Chinas-Cyber-Spy-Sabotage-Network) as well as for influence operations.

China is employing online influence operations along the India-China border as well as India’s northeast, especially states like Manipur by fostering instability using Myanmar-based and local terror groups (https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/beijings-online-influence-operations-along-the-india-china-border/). Most of the narrative first appeared on Chinese social media platforms which then entered the Indian social media landscape through translation or AI enabled translations. This way it reached the targeted audience, the Meitei people. Anthropologists say the Meitei people may be ethnically related to Tibetans, whose land is now part of China, but the Meitei do not speak Chinese. These accounts spread misleading narratives, like a “Little China in India” that holds the six-star red flag, does not speak Hindi and refuses to marry Indians. China is also using the ‘Little China in India’ narrative on Western social media platforms like X and YouTube.

Since 2023, social media conglomerate Meta has publicly disclosed at least two coordinated inauthentic networks targeting India and originating from China in its quarterly Adverbial Threat Reports; fake accounts originating from China criticising the Indian government and military by focusing on issues on the India-China border, as also targeted the global Sikh community, creating a fictitious activist movement called Operation K that called for pro-Sikh protests. Narratives included accusing PM Modi unconcerned about welfare of the people of Manipur,  protests in Nagaland, dissent in Arunachal Pradesh and the like.

Separately, a report by Reuters in the Economic Times dated December 20 2024 says that Indian militant groups, trained and armed in Myanmar's civil war, are returning to Manipur, escalating the 19-month ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities. Increased violence, fuelled by sophisticated weaponry and illicit activities, has prompted a surge in troop deployments. Both sides are procuring arms from across the border, exacerbating the already volatile situation.

Army personnel guard the streets after violent protests in Minuthong, Imphal, on Tuesday. (Express Photo)
Army personnel guard the streets after violent protests in Minuthong, Imphal, on Tuesday. (Express Photo)

This has led to an increase in violence between Manipur's dominant and mostly Hindu Meitei community and the mainly Christian Kuki tribes - a conflict that critics say is the biggest law-and-order failure of Prine minister Modi’s Government. The Reuters report is based on interaction with politicians, military and police officers, plus: rebel sources in Myanmar”. The report says rival fighters are now equipped with rocket launchers, machine guns, sniper and assault rifles, including foreign-made M16s, M4A1s and AK-47s, according to seizure announcements by the military and the Manipur police. 20 people were killed in fighting in November alone, requiring the induction of additional 10,000 central forces, taking the total number of troops to nearly 67,000 in addition to the 30,000-strong police force. The escalation in violence has been accompanied by an increase in crime - mainly extortion and illegal drugs trade - to fund the weapons and operations of the rival factions.

The report says that the Meitei groups have been fighting on the side of the ruling junta in Myanmar's civil war and an estimated 2,000 of their cadres had been camping in Myanmar's Sagaing region, just across the border from Manipur, as of December 2024. Rival militant groups have been coming into Manipur and some are still in Myanmar. While police armouries have been looted, arms are also being brought in from across the border from Myanmar. Meitei groups, who are fighting the Kuki groups in Manipur, are supported by the state government.

Other than the above report, disinformation campaign has also been raging in Manipur, including against the Army and the Assam Rifles. The recent spurt in violence came after 10 Hmar youth were gunned down in the area of Jiribam in what the CRFP termed “encounter”. The Centre has said that law and order is under the state administration. 

A few weeks back news reports in the mainstream media said that Kuki groups are not only using rocket launchers, but are attacking the Meitei with armed drones, dropping grenades and bombs. This indicated another level of escalation in the ethnic violence. These media reports were purportedly based on inputs from the state administration. The then DG Assam Rifles just before he retired had denied the use of armed drones by the Kuki groups. The matter was eventually put to rest when the Army Chief publicly said during the India Today Conclave that this was false information – no drones were being used for dropping of grenades or bombs in Manipur. 

Serious concern arose in Manipur recently when the Army seized some internet devices along with arms and ammunition during a raid at Kerao Khunou in Imphal East District. One of the devices had a 'Starlink logo' andalso looked exactly like a Starlink device; 'an internet satellite antenna, an internet satellite router and about 20 meters long FTP cable'. The Army’s Spear Corps posted the pictures on X:

The above news was followed by another post on X by ‘FrontalForce’, showing a video and saying US Army veteran Daniel Stephen Courtney seen freely roaming inside India and distributing drones, bulletproof vests, explosives, weapon and military gear (which is in use with 'Special Forces') to Kukis in Indian state of Manipur.

This postt was picked up by India Today who elaborated on this, also quoting Daniel Stephen Courney’s YouTube channel named “Fool for Christ” uploaded in March 2024, and pointing to the activities of this American evangelist’s controversial activities and stoking communal tensions in India. Another YouTuber questioned whether the US Army is in Manipur for the last 30 days.

It was completely missed out that the video in question is of Myanmar (not Manipur) where former US Marines are helping anti-government forces fight the military junta. FrontalForce is a handle known for spreading false information on behalf of its masters whose identity is not difficult to guess. Moreover, the captured internet devices were from the Meitei, not from Kukis.

While police forces are looking into how the internet equipment in question was found in Manipur, SpaceX founder Elon Musk has rejected all claims that the Starlink device is being used in Manipur; saying that Starlink satellite beams have been turned off over India. Manipur.

Finally, disinformation and influence operations by China and forces inimical to India will continue; these being part of the conflict zones of today. Militaries and policy makers need to work out the counters to function within these parameters.

The author is an Indian Army veteran. Views expressed are personal.

About the author

Lt. Gen. Prakash Katoch (Ret'd)

Lt. Gen. Prakash Katoch (Ret'd)

The author is a former Lieutenant General of the Indian Army, former Director General of Information Systems and a Special Forces Veteran.

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