History and Ideology
It is associated with the National Socialist Council of Taniland (NSCT) with news reports having variously described the UTA as both the armed wing of the NSCT as well as a renamed continuation of it. The group espouses Tani nationalism, and like its predecessor has advanced the demand for a separate nation of Taniland for the Tani peoples.
The group's chairman, Anthony Doke, was earlier a member of the National Liberation Council of Taniland (NLCT), a Tani separatist group formed around 2005 that was largely neutralised by the Arunachal Pradesh Police by the end of 2010. The UTA emerged as a new outfit at the end of 2024.
Police has since then, booked UTA members under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and government statements and news reports since have described the outfit as banned or proscribed.
Activities
In December 2024, the UTA publicly opposed the construction of several large dams in Arunachal Pradesh, demanding the cancellation of all memorandum of understanding and memorandum of agreement signed with hydropower developers. The group has also released videos showcasing their camps, reportedly located near the Indo-Myanmar border, and displayed their arsenal of weapons.
In January 2025, the Arunachal Pradesh Police arrested Tana Hassi, who was allegedly involved in recruiting youths into the UTA. Anthony Doke the Commander in Chief of Tani army, has however refuted these claims, asserting that the detained individuals are former NLCT members with no current affiliation to the UTA.
In September 2025, the group's Vice-Chairman Biri Ruja, was arrested along with three other cadres by Arunachal Pradesh Police
The group was also involved in sending soldiers to fight for the Myanmar junta against the Burmese People's Defence Force during the current Myanmar civil war in 2023 and 2024.
