Photo Credit: Ericwinny, Wikipedia Commons
By P. K. Balachandran
India’s North-Eastern State of Mizoram and the Chin State of Northern Myanmar have a history of tribal unrest, armed rebellion, and secessionism. While the Mizo insurgency was curbed due to New Delhi’s decision to give the Mizos autonomy within the Indian Union, the Chin insurgency continues in Myanmar because Yangon’s reluctance to address the Chin’s grievances and give them a measure of autonomy.
Although the Mizos are well-integrated in India, with many of them holding high positions in the government due to their proficiency in English, there is a complication when it comes to their relations with the Chin, who live across the border with Myanmar. They are kindred tribes, sharing a language and culture. It is the British rulers who had divided them by drawing a line separating “India” and “Burma” (now Myanmar). Since the Chin are fighting the Myanmar junta with arms, they get help from the Mizo on the Indian side. People, insurgents, drugs and arms infiltrate from both sides despite the mountainous and forested terrain.
When waters are troubled anywhere, interested parties, including foreign countries, intelligence agencies, arms and drug smugglers, come to fish in them. The Mizo-Chin area is no exception. Currently, the game features Americans and Ukrainians. Their aim appears to be to help the Chin against the military junta in Myanmar, which is backed by China and Russia.
India is neutral in the fights in Myanmar, but does nothing to curb the anti-insurgency measures of the junta in Yangon. It is in India’s interest to see this area is pacified.
The foreign element in the recent imbroglio became public in March when a US citizen and six Ukrainians were arrested by the Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) for illegally crossing into Myanmar via Mizoram, apparently to train armed ethnic groups in weapons handling and drone warfare methods.
This group had been under watch for the past several months. The accused have been identified as US national Matthew Aaron Van Dyke; and Ukrainians Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim, and Kaminskyi Viktor. They were reportedly arrested from Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata airports in the night of March 13.
Van Dyke is “media personality” based in Ukraine. He has not hidden that simultaneously, he runs covert operations in various countries to effect regime change. In one of his posts, he said, “To the leaders of Venezuela, Burma (Myanmar), Iran and other authoritarian regimes, we are coming for you. Russia, we are coming for you as well.”
While the US embassy in Delhi would not comment on it, the Ukrainian government said the Ukrainians were innocent and demanded consular access. It also blamed the Russians for the plot to arrest them.
The foreigners were arrested for going in and out of “No Go” areas such as Mozoram with the Protected Area Permit (PAP). But the Ukrainian MFA said that it might have been an “unintentional violation”. The accuse were sent on custody till March 27, booked under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In December 2024, the Indian Home Ministry had alerted the North Eastern States of Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland to keep a close watch on foreigners visiting the States.
Interestingly, in March 2025, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had told the State Assembly: “We have specific intelligence that the Ukraine war veterans travelled to Myanmar’s Chin State via Mizoram to train rebel outfits fighting the military junta. Though the State had registered close to 2,000 visitors from Western countries between June and December 2024, barely a few foreign tourists were seen in Aizawl,” raising the suspicion that they had disappeared into prohibited areas.
Peter Thang
A report in “The Quint” by V.K. Shashikumar referred to a key figure in the Chin movement, Peter Thang is the vice-president of the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF), the armed wing of the Chin National Organisation (CNO), established in 2021 in Chin State, in Myanmar.
Before the 2021 coup staged by the Myanmar junta, Thang ran a travel agency in Yangon. Now, he runs CNDF’s drug-trafficking operations and is the chief arms procurer who also organised the drone smuggling operation in which VanDyke and the six Ukrainians were involved.
Both CNDF and CNA operate under the umbrella of the Chin Brotherhood. American missionary networks support them. However, the armed struggle is financed primarily through narcotics.
American Connection
Matthew VanDyke, the US national, was born in Baltimore, holds a Master’s in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a second Master’s in War Studies from King’s College London. He is the founder of Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit security contracting firm whose stated mission is to provide military training to forces fighting authoritarian regimes.
VanDyke fought in Libya’s 2011 civil war, spent six months as a prisoner of war in Muammar Gaddafi’s prisons, filmed an award-winning documentary in Syria, and founded SOLI after ISIS (Islamic State) beheaded his journalist friends James Foley and Steven Sotloff. Van Dyke trained Iraqi Christians to fight ISIS, and Ukrainian civilians against Russia from 2022 onwards. His operational footprint spans Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, the Philippines, Venezuela, and now Myanmar.
NIA officials have told the court that their teams had been tracking the suspects in the northeast for several months before the coordinated arrests. Investigators believe the group had been making repeated trips since 2024. Eight more Ukrainian nationals, part of a larger group of 14 who entered India on tourist visas, remain untraceable.
VanDyke’s interrogation revealed that on February 12 and 20, 2026, the KIA and allied People’s Defence Forces (PDF) used suicide drones to attack Myitkyina airport. A passenger plane at the airport was reportedly damaged.
Fighting was also intense in Kachin State in January this year, with junta air strikes in Bhamo Township and clashes in Hpakant. Myitkyina airport was officially shut down on February 26.
Sources said that VanDyke admitted during interrogation that he had supplied several drones in knock-down condition — transported in dismantled parts rather than as fully assembled units – to the KIA and the PDF to supplement and augment the rebels’ military hardware stock.
Russian Tipoff
Multiple sources told “The Quint” that Russian intelligence had tipped off India. Russia and China are the Myanmar junta’s principal external patrons: Russia supplies helicopters, fighter jets, armoured vehicles, and artillery; China provides military equipment and exercises leverage through its influence over ethnic armed groups along the China-Myanmar border, such as the Wa.
According to Shashikumar, British national Daniel Newey was arrested at Aizawl airport on 19 June 2024 with ammunition while returning from Chin rebel areas. Belgian national Simon Clemente was arrested at Aizawl airport in March 2025, again with ammunition.
Bangladesh Angle
It may be recalled that before the January 2024 Bangladesh elections, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had warned—without naming anyone—that a “White man” had proposed helping her return to power if she allowed foreign forces to establish bases in Bangladesh as in St. Martin’s Island.
She also expressed concern about a possible conspiracy to create a separate Christian state involving parts of Chattogram and Myanmar. India’s North Eastern States barring Assam, Manipur and Tripura, have a Christian majority. These States could be made part of the proposed Christian State. “India Today” drew a comparison with East Timor’s separation from Indonesia.
Humanitarian Corridor
During the Interim Government period , the US wanted to create a “Humanitarian Corridor” between Myanmar and Bangladesh to help the flow of humanitarian aid to the persecuted Rohingya Muslims living in Rakhine State in Myanmar and the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh. That move was backed by the pro-US Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, but the Bangladesh media and the army Chief Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman shot it down on the grounds that it would facilitate Rohingya as well as foreign infiltration.
P. K. Balachandran
P. K. Balachandran is a senior Indian journalist working in Sri Lanka for local and international media and has been writing on South Asian issues for the past 21 years.
By P. K. Balachandran
India’s North-Eastern State of Mizoram and the Chin State of Northern Myanmar have a history of tribal unrest, armed rebellion, and secessionism. While the Mizo insurgency was curbed due to New Delhi’s decision to give the Mizos autonomy within the Indian Union, the Chin insurgency continues in Myanmar because Yangon’s reluctance to address the Chin’s grievances and give them a measure of autonomy.
Although the Mizos are well-integrated in India, with many of them holding high positions in the government due to their proficiency in English, there is a complication when it comes to their relations with the Chin, who live across the border with Myanmar. They are kindred tribes, sharing a language and culture. It is the British rulers who had divided them by drawing a line separating “India” and “Burma” (now Myanmar). Since the Chin are fighting the Myanmar junta with arms, they get help from the Mizo on the Indian side. People, insurgents, drugs and arms infiltrate from both sides despite the mountainous and forested terrain.
When waters are troubled anywhere, interested parties, including foreign countries, intelligence agencies, arms and drug smugglers, come to fish in them. The Mizo-Chin area is no exception. Currently, the game features Americans and Ukrainians. Their aim appears to be to help the Chin against the military junta in Myanmar, which is backed by China and Russia.
India is neutral in the fights in Myanmar, but does nothing to curb the anti-insurgency measures of the junta in Yangon. It is in India’s interest to see this area is pacified.
The foreign element in the recent imbroglio became public in March when a US citizen and six Ukrainians were arrested by the Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) for illegally crossing into Myanmar via Mizoram, apparently to train armed ethnic groups in weapons handling and drone warfare methods.
This group had been under watch for the past several months. The accused have been identified as US national Matthew Aaron Van Dyke; and Ukrainians Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim, and Kaminskyi Viktor. They were reportedly arrested from Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata airports in the night of March 13.
Van Dyke is “media personality” based in Ukraine. He has not hidden that simultaneously, he runs covert operations in various countries to effect regime change. In one of his posts, he said, “To the leaders of Venezuela, Burma (Myanmar), Iran and other authoritarian regimes, we are coming for you. Russia, we are coming for you as well.”
While the US embassy in Delhi would not comment on it, the Ukrainian government said the Ukrainians were innocent and demanded consular access. It also blamed the Russians for the plot to arrest them.
The foreigners were arrested for going in and out of “No Go” areas such as Mozoram with the Protected Area Permit (PAP). But the Ukrainian MFA said that it might have been an “unintentional violation”. The accuse were sent on custody till March 27, booked under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In December 2024, the Indian Home Ministry had alerted the North Eastern States of Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland to keep a close watch on foreigners visiting the States.
Interestingly, in March 2025, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had told the State Assembly: “We have specific intelligence that the Ukraine war veterans travelled to Myanmar’s Chin State via Mizoram to train rebel outfits fighting the military junta. Though the State had registered close to 2,000 visitors from Western countries between June and December 2024, barely a few foreign tourists were seen in Aizawl,” raising the suspicion that they had disappeared into prohibited areas.
Peter Thang
A report in “The Quint” by V.K. Shashikumar referred to a key figure in the Chin movement, Peter Thang is the vice-president of the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF), the armed wing of the Chin National Organisation (CNO), established in 2021 in Chin State, in Myanmar.
Before the 2021 coup staged by the Myanmar junta, Thang ran a travel agency in Yangon. Now, he runs CNDF’s drug-trafficking operations and is the chief arms procurer who also organised the drone smuggling operation in which VanDyke and the six Ukrainians were involved.
Both CNDF and CNA operate under the umbrella of the Chin Brotherhood. American missionary networks support them. However, the armed struggle is financed primarily through narcotics.
American Connection
Matthew VanDyke, the US national, was born in Baltimore, holds a Master’s in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a second Master’s in War Studies from King’s College London. He is the founder of Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit security contracting firm whose stated mission is to provide military training to forces fighting authoritarian regimes.
VanDyke fought in Libya’s 2011 civil war, spent six months as a prisoner of war in Muammar Gaddafi’s prisons, filmed an award-winning documentary in Syria, and founded SOLI after ISIS (Islamic State) beheaded his journalist friends James Foley and Steven Sotloff. Van Dyke trained Iraqi Christians to fight ISIS, and Ukrainian civilians against Russia from 2022 onwards. His operational footprint spans Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, the Philippines, Venezuela, and now Myanmar.
NIA officials have told the court that their teams had been tracking the suspects in the northeast for several months before the coordinated arrests. Investigators believe the group had been making repeated trips since 2024. Eight more Ukrainian nationals, part of a larger group of 14 who entered India on tourist visas, remain untraceable.
VanDyke’s interrogation revealed that on February 12 and 20, 2026, the KIA and allied People’s Defence Forces (PDF) used suicide drones to attack Myitkyina airport. A passenger plane at the airport was reportedly damaged.
Fighting was also intense in Kachin State in January this year, with junta air strikes in Bhamo Township and clashes in Hpakant. Myitkyina airport was officially shut down on February 26.
Sources said that VanDyke admitted during interrogation that he had supplied several drones in knock-down condition — transported in dismantled parts rather than as fully assembled units – to the KIA and the PDF to supplement and augment the rebels’ military hardware stock.
Russian Tipoff
Multiple sources told “The Quint” that Russian intelligence had tipped off India. Russia and China are the Myanmar junta’s principal external patrons: Russia supplies helicopters, fighter jets, armoured vehicles, and artillery; China provides military equipment and exercises leverage through its influence over ethnic armed groups along the China-Myanmar border, such as the Wa.
According to Shashikumar, British national Daniel Newey was arrested at Aizawl airport on 19 June 2024 with ammunition while returning from Chin rebel areas. Belgian national Simon Clemente was arrested at Aizawl airport in March 2025, again with ammunition.
Bangladesh Angle
It may be recalled that before the January 2024 Bangladesh elections, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had warned—without naming anyone—that a “White man” had proposed helping her return to power if she allowed foreign forces to establish bases in Bangladesh as in St. Martin’s Island.
She also expressed concern about a possible conspiracy to create a separate Christian state involving parts of Chattogram and Myanmar. India’s North Eastern States barring Assam, Manipur and Tripura, have a Christian majority. These States could be made part of the proposed Christian State. “India Today” drew a comparison with East Timor’s separation from Indonesia.
Humanitarian Corridor
During the Interim Government period , the US wanted to create a “Humanitarian Corridor” between Myanmar and Bangladesh to help the flow of humanitarian aid to the persecuted Rohingya Muslims living in Rakhine State in Myanmar and the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh. That move was backed by the pro-US Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, but the Bangladesh media and the army Chief Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman shot it down on the grounds that it would facilitate Rohingya as well as foreign infiltration.
P. K. Balachandran
P. K. Balachandran is a senior Indian journalist working in Sri Lanka for local and international media and has been writing on South Asian issues for the past 21 years.
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