1500 militants to surrender in Assam

In Assam, around 1500 ultras belonging to nine ethnic militant groups will formally lay down arms at a surrender ceremony organized at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati this morning (10.00 a.m.).

A State Police spokesman said that the militants will lay down arms in presence of the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and the State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi besides senior police and civil officials.

The nine groups to surrender en-masse are part of two major ethnic groups - the tribal Kukis and the Adivasis.

Among the major groups that are surrendering include the Kuki Revolutionary Army, the Hmar People’s Convention, the Birsa Commando Force, and the Adivasi Cobra Militant of Assam.

All these militant groups are already observing cease-fire with the Government, although formal peace talks are yet to begin. Most of these groups were either fighting for secession or for greater autonomy.

Mr. Tarun Gogoi said the Government will hold talks with all these groups and see to it that their genuine grievances are met.

AIR Guwahati correspondent reports that this would be the biggest-ever surrender of militants in the North-East.

Senior NSCN leader killed

Kohima, Jan 20 : A senior functionary of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) was today killed by the rival Khole-Kitovi group at Zunheboto, 150km from here.

Deputy kilonser (deputy minister) of the NSCN (Khaplang), Ghukato Assumi, was killed this afternoon in the heart of Zunheboto town. Sources said the leader was killed with an AK-47 rifle.

The victim was a veteran militant and had worked with Khaplang for over two decades.

Currently, the NSCN (Khaplang) has only one designated camp at Suruhoto town, nearly 20km from Zunheboto.

The body of the slain rebel was later taken to his native town Akuluto, around 40km from Zunheboto.

Firing was still on at Athibung between the two groups, but there was no report of any casualty. Sources, however, said several cadres were injured during the turf war.

Last Sunday, NSCN (Khaplang) had overrun the designated camp of the rival group at Athibung town in Peren district and captured over 20 cadres along with arms. One cadre was killed during the attack.

Over hundreds of armed cadres from the Khole-Kitovi group rushed to the area to flush out the Khaplang cadres.

On December 21, Khaplang cadres overran the designated camp of the rival group at Ghukiye village, 15km from Zunheboto.

China trying to make NE ultras join hands

R Dutta Choudhury

GUWAHATI, Jan 20 – The Chinese have been goading the militant groups of the North East region to come to a common platform. Though the Government of India has been taking up the issue with the Chinese counterpart, the Government of that country always denies the reports.

Highly placed sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told The Assam Tribune that the Chinese have been asking the militants to join hands for quite some time. The militant groups of the region sought help from China to fight against India and instead of helping the outfits individually, the Chinese are keen that the outfits should join hands.

Middle and lower level officers of the China Government spoke to the leaders of the militant groups of the region in recent times to discuss these issues and according to inputs available with the Government of India, the first meeting was held in Yunan province of China about a year back and the next was held about six months back.

Sources said that the ultra groups, which are in the new process of unification include hard line faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Ranjan Daimary faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), Khaplang faction of the NSCN and groups based in Manipur. Though the NSCN (I-M) was maintaining close ties with China, the outfit is not in the recent scheme of things.

MHA sources said that though the militant groups have close ties with each other, they have not yet been able to come into a common platform. However, the Meitei groups of Manipur have joined hands recently, sources added.

It may be mentioned here that Paresh Baruah, the leader of the hard line faction of the ULFA has been maintaining links in China for a long time and still visits that country frequently. It is believed by the security agencies that he is now the main link between China and the insurgent groups of North East.

Meanwhile, a team of senior officers of the MHA and Intelligence Bureau (IB) recently completed its tour of Manipur to assess the situation on the ground on the eve of the Assembly elections in the State.

MHA sources admitted that the situation in Manipur is a cause of concern and that is why around 360 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed to deal with the situation. The valley based militant groups of Manipur would definitely try to make an impact on the polls and in fact they have already started making efforts in this direction. Though those groups are not directly supporting any political party, they are all opposing the ruling Congress. On the other hand, members of the NSCN (I-M) are trying to create trouble in the Hill areas of Manipur.

However, sources said that all out efforts would be made to ensure violence free elections in the state and the personnel of the Assam Rifles have also been alerted to prevent free movement of militants from their bases in Myanmar.

Centre extends ceasefire with DHD-J, NDFB-P

NEW DELHI, Jan 19 – The Centre on Wednesday announced extension of the ceasefire pacts with Dima Halam Daogah (DHD)-J faction and National Democratic Front of Boroland (Progressive) (NDFB-P).
Official sources said it has been mutually agreed with the (DHD) group in North Cachar Hills district of Assam to further extend suspension of operations (SoO) for a period of six months till June 30.

An agreement of Suspension of Operations (SoO) between the security forces and DHD has been in operation since January 1, 2003 and has been extended. Agreed ground rules have been revised making them more strict, said sources.

A Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) headed by JS (North-east), Ministry of Home Affairs, has been constituted to review the implementation of agreed ground rules. Meetings of JMG have been held periodically.

Meanwhile, tripartite talks on the demands of DHD are continuing. Centre’s interlocutor, PC Halder held the last tripartite meeting with the outfit on December 17, to finalise the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS).

The Dimasa extremist outfit under the name of the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) raised its ugly head in North Cachar Hills district of Assam after December, 1994. In December 2002, Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) had come forward and expressed its willingness to give up violence and seek solution of its problems peacefully within the framework of the Indian Constitution.

An agreement of Suspension of Operations (SoO) had been signed between the Central Government (Home Ministry), Government of Assam and NDFB on May 24, 2005 and has been in operation since June 1.

In the wake of the involvement of some NDFB cadres in serial blasts in Assam, on October 30, 2008, the SoO Agreement with the NDFB was revised in 2009.

A Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) headed by JS (NE), Ministry of Home Affairs, had been constituted to review the implementation of agreed ground rules. Meetings of JMG have been held periodically.

Kuki outfit UKDA declares unilateral truce

DIPHU, Jan 19 – The ‘United Kukigram Defense Army’ a Kuki ethnic militant outfit based in Karbi Anglong district in central Assam declared a unilateral ceasefire with the Government of India and the Government of Assam, at an undisclosed position on January 12. The ceremony took place at a high altitude location of Singhason hills in the heart of the district.

The organisation came into being in 1996 under the nomenclature ‘United Defense Army’ but was rechristened in 2010 as UKDA. The outfit was raised to defend the community from the attacks of the Manipur-based Kuki militant outfit KRA (Kuki Revolutionary Army), and also to demand a regional council comprising the Kuki-dominated areas of the district centering around the Singhason hill track.

Bruce Kuki, ‘foreign secretary’ of the outfit while announcing the decision, giving a brief account of the UKDA, said “the Kuki’s settlement in the district of Karbi Anglong the then Mikir Hills can be traced since the second half of 19th century. The Kuki inhabited areas were visited by the then SDO of Golaghat subdivision in 1946 and the region was named Kuki Pahar”.

The ‘foreign secretary’ stated that “the Kuki populated areas have lagged far behind other parts of Karbi Anglong district, especially economically, politically and educationally. We have been deprived of the benefits extended by the government over the years and the concerned government authorities have time and again turned a deaf ear to genuine legitimate demands and grievances even after several memoranda/representation given to the national and state level authorities since 1992”.

Replying to what forced them to take up arms against the nation, he said “we have been given a step-motherly treatment and our legitimate demands have remained unsolved. As a result, a wave of indignation, resentment and frustration has swept over the minds of the Kuki youths of Karbi Anglong. In order that the government authorities pay heed and hear our cries, we were compelled to take up arms, which led to the formation of United Peoples’ Front (UPF) in 1996, which later was rechristened as United Kukigram Defence Army (UKDA) on April 19, 2010 at Sitpijang village”.

The outfit which declared truce with the Government on January 12 waged an armed struggle for fulfilling its demand for a ‘Kuki tribes Autonomous Regional Council and defending the Kuki inhabited area from intruders, evil designs of outsiders and anti Social elements and to uplift the living condition of its community’.

The UKDA spokesperson said that, the Manipuri based militant group KRA who are at present under ‘Suspension of Operation’ status with the government in Manipur started intruding into Karbi Anglong district in the year 2003. This led to ethnic clashes between kukis of Karbi Anglong and those of Manipur leading to lose of hundreds of innocent lives and their properties in Karbi Anglong.

Five Kuki militants arrested in Manipur

In Manipur, Assam Rifles nabbed five cadres of the Kuki militant outfit KRA at Saikul in Churachandpur district on Friday. The militants ventured away from their designated camps violating the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government.
Assam Rifles sources said, the militants were in possession of two AK-56 Rifles, one 7.62 mm SLR, one Carbine, one G-3 Rifle and ammunitions. They have been handed over to Imphal West Police.

AIR correspondence reports that just on the day, the Joint Monitoring Group on SoO directed the Kuki militant outfits under SoO to properly confine their cadres in the designated camps, Assam Rifles have shown that those who defy the direction will be held accountable.


On Friday, the Kuki militant outfits under SoO agreement with the government had been advised not to support any political party or candidate in the forthcoming state assembly elections. The Monitoring Group comprises of both central and state government officials and representatives of Kuki militant

Insurgent organisations attack Congress offices & candidates

Imphal, Jan 10 : Insurgents planted a bomb at the Manipur Congress office here besides lobbing grenades at the house of Congress party candidates and supporters at many places in the state, police said today. The insurgents had planted the bomb here late last night but there was no report of any casualty, the sources said. Insurgents also hurled grenades at the house of Congress candidates and supporters in four valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishenpur and Thoubal district last night but there was no report of any casualty, they said. Insurgents had hurled grenades at the house of Congress candidates, Ng Bijoy (Khurai) in Imphal East district, at a house of party candidate O Landhobini at Khangabok in Thoubal district, supporter of party candidate at Shingjamei in Imphal West district, I Hemochandra and many other places elsewhere, the sources said. Seven major insurgent organisations - the coordination committee(CorCom) of insurgent outfits comprising United National Liberation Front, Kanglei Yawol Kann Lup, People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), PREPAK (PROGRESSIVE), United People's Party of kangleipak, Kangleipak Communist Party and Revolutionary People's Front had said they would oppose the Congress candidates in the forthcoming January 28 assembly election because they were against what they called 'revolutionary movement'.