Mizzima: Insurgency and violence on

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Insurgency and violence on the rise in India's North Eastern States

New Delhi, March 15, 2000
Mizzima News Group

Insurgencies continue to fester and violence has been on the rise in
recent months in the North Eastern States of India, according to
Institute for Conflict Management. In its newly launched website on
terrorism in South Asian, Institute for Conflict Management has stated
that insurgency-related violence has been on the rise in the North
Eastern States of India except in Mizoram State which effectively
resolved insurgency through dialogue in 1986.

"While insurgency in Mizoram has largely subsided, security forces
continue to battle with terrorism in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and
Tripura. Despite a cease-fire between the security forces and several
insurgent groups in Nagaland there have been reports of violence," noted
the Institute in its websitae: http://www.icm-stap.com, which was
launched on March 11.

Tripura is the worst violence-hit state amongst the North Easten States
in recent months and total 78 violent incidents have been reported in
the first five weeks of this year. Total 47 insurgency-related violence
incidents have been so far reported in Assam while 39 incidents and 24
incidents are reported in Manipur and Nagaland respectively during the
first five weeks of 2000.

Moreover, over-all number of violence in Manipur, Tripura and Nagaland
had shown an increasing trend during 1999. Though total number of
incidents in 1999 had come down to 447 as against 735 last year in Assam
State, it has recently witnessed a number of dreadful incidents
including a killing of Assam PWD and Forest Minister Mr. Nagen Sharma by
the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) on February 27.

In Assam alone, total 23 major and minor insurgent groups are operating
while 15 such groups are operating in Manipur State. Many of these
groups are also active in other neighboring states.

In its fight against terrorism and to combat increased activities of
Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in these North Eastern
States, Indian government has stepped up its security measures. In
Manipur alone, Indian Army had deployed over 20,000 men. The government
has also befriended the neighboring countries like Burma and Bhutan in
seeking their cooperation to flash out base camps of these insurgent
groups from their territories.

It further stated that estimated 21 ULFA camps are situated in Bhutan
while a number of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang)
camps are based in Burma's remote territory bordering with India. There
were reports that Indian and Burmese government troops have recently
launched joint operations against ULFA and NSCN (Khaplang) militants in
Indo-Burma border areas.

Meanwhile, Bhutan government has also initiated steps towards closing
training camps of Indian insurgent groups on its soil and issued a stern
warning that anybody helping the ULFA would be tried under the 1992
National Security Act. At least two Indian insurgent groups, the ULFA
and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) have their camps in
Bhutan.

The Institute for Conflict Management is a non-governmental organization
in India, set up by K.P.S. Gill, former Director General of Punjab
Police to engage directly in the search for solutions to the widening
sphere of conflict and violence in South Asia which is one of the most
volatile regions in the world.