The recent arrest of American national Matthew VanDyke, along with six Ukrainian nationals, by Bharat’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sent shockwaves globally, raising concerns about a US-linked plot and deeper geopolitical manoeuvres along the Bharat–Myanmar border.
The incident, and the pattern in which the US mercenary was arrested, revives older claims—most notably those made by former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina before her 2024 ouster. Hasina’s ouster, and the manner in which Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was brought in to lead an interim government in Bangladesh, are seen by some as pointing to long-term designs to fragment parts of Northeast India, Myanmar’s Chin State, and possibly adjoining Bangladeshi territories into a separate entity—often described in some circles as a “Christian nation” or “Zo” homeland.
Hasina claimed a “white man” met her ahead of the 2024 Bangladesh elections. The former PM said the “white man” assured to help her return to power if she allowed a “foreign nation” to build an airbase on Bangladesh’s territory which was denied by her. Later, Yunus was pitched in within months of Hasina’s claim had raised alarms against an alleged US plot to carve out a Christian nation from parts of India’s Northeast, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
Meanwhile, the six arrested Ukrainians have been identified as Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim, and Kaminskyi Viktor.
Who is Matthew VanDyke? The big fish operating for Christian nation
Matthew VanDyke and his group were active in the Chin–Kuki–Zo region, a sensitive and contested area. This has prompted security agencies to take note and revisit Sheikh Hasina’s 2024 “Christian nation” claim. Regional analysts believe it could be a quiet effort to train and arm local proxy groups, taking advantage of the instability caused by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.
Matthew Aaron Van Dyke, an American citizen, has previously been involved in armed conflicts in Libya and Syria—two countries where regimes were eventually overthrown. In 2011, he was also held as a prisoner of war after being detained by Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya.
VanDyke’s arrest in India, and claims linking him to elements of the US “deep state,” have sparked significant controversy. He is also the founder of Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), a non-profit security outfit that trains groups fighting authoritarian regimes.
In 2019, SOLI had highlighted “Christian persecution” in India, a claim that was reported by Fox News. Taken together, these factors have led some experts to draw connections, suggesting that VanDyke may be linked to the network Sheikh Hasina had warned about in 2024.
The agency also stated that the Ukrainian and American nationals were providing training to these groups, which have links to insurgent outfits operating in India.
According to the NIA, these armed groups were supporting banned Indian insurgent organisations by supplying weapons, other equipment, and training.
A review of VanDyke’s posts on X shows a strong expression of his Christian beliefs. He has described US President Donald Trump as a “bad Christian” and, last year, claimed that Christian voters had been misled by MAGA.
According to the NIA, the arrested foreigners brought a large consignment of drones from Europe via India. The investigation found that, although they entered the country on valid visas, they travelled to Mizoram without the required Restricted Area Permit (RAP).
Border Region—Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Chin State in Myanmar
The region is home to communities like the Chin, Kuki, and Zo people. Many of them follow Christianity, influenced by past missionary activity. The area has seen unrest for many years due to demands for autonomy, close cross-border ties, and easy movement of arms and drugs.
The arrests suggest that foreign nationals may have been helping some groups become stronger, possibly to increase instability or support separatist tendencies.
American missionaries have been active in the region since the mid-1900s. There have also been instances where missionary groups working with “persecuted” Christians were alleged to have links with US intelligence agencies.
Christianity has seen significant growth in Northeast India, particularly in states like Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur, where it’s a dominant religion, with a notable increase in Christian population.
The NIA told the court, while seeking custody of the arrested foreign nationals, that they had entered India on valid visas but later illegally accessed a protected area in Mizoram. From there, they crossed into Myanmar and established contact with ethnic armed groups hostile to India.
Daniel Stephan Courney- Deported and Blacklisted from India in 2017
In 2017, US-origin Christian missionary Daniel Stephan Courney was deported and blacklisted from India. He was accused of inciting Kukis against Meitei Hindus and the Modi government, and of carrying out mass conversions in Nepal. Courney, who was in the news for his role in fuelling tensions between Kukis and Meiteis in conflict-hit Manipur, re-entered India in 2023 on a tourist visa.
He was involved in proselytisation activities in Manipur under the guise of social service and preaching Christianity. He also distributed Bibles and delivered speeches critical of Hindus and the BJP-led central government, despite laws prohibiting religious propagation or conversion on a tourist visa.
Separately, the army veteran is accused of supplying Kuki militants in Manipur with military-grade equipment, including drones and bulletproof vests. Rather than easing tensions, his actions and provocative rhetoric appear to have further inflamed the fragile ethnic situation in the region.
Daniel Stephan Courney was a part of a larger covert network linked to elements within the US establishment, using the Kuki community to advance broader geopolitical interests in India’s sensitive Northeast.
In 2024, a UK national, Daniel Newey, was arrested at Lengpui Airport with a live round of ammunition and booked under the Arms Act, 1959. He was later acquitted, which is not uncommon in such cases.
In another instance, US evangelist Franklin Graham was denied a visa in November 2025 for a planned visit to Kohima in Nagaland. His organisation, Samaritan’s Purse, has earlier been reported to be involved in conversion-linked activities in India, often using aid and material assistance as part of its outreach.
