The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was established under the leadership of N Bisheswar Singh on September 25, 1978. PLA aims to organise a revolutionary front covering the entire Northeast and unite all ethnic groups, including the Meiteis, Nagas and Kukis, to liberate Manipur. PLA, though a Meitei outfit, claims itself to be a trans-tribal organisation seeking to lead the non-Meiteis as well.

In 1989, PLA formed a political body called the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF). RPF runs a government-in-exile in Bangladesh. Irengbam Chaoren is the president of RPF. It has a vice-president, a general secretary, secretaries in charge of home, finance, foreign affairs, publicity and communication, social welfare, health and education.

As part of its revitalisation efforts, PLA was reorganised on the lines of a disciplined army. The militant wing now comprises four divisions – Sadar Hill West areas of Manipur Valley, Sadar Hill areas in the eastern Valley, the entire hill areas in Manipur and the entire Imphal area. Each division has a commander, lieutenants, sergeant and lance corporals in its ranks. PLA activists are equipped with sophisticated arms. The group has also been reportedly involved in widespread extortion operations.

PLA recruits were trained in guerrilla warfare by the then united National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) at its headquarters in Challam, beyond the Somrah Tract, in north Myanmar during the eighties. PLA is also reported to have contacts with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

RPF has a government-in-exile in Bangladesh where PLA has set up a number of bases in the Sylhet district. Two camps in Myanmar and five camps in Bangladesh are currently known to exist, where about 1,000 recruits have received arms training.