Ulfa appeals to Bhutan for reprieve

The Bhutan government tried to negotiate with United Liberation Front of Assam militants and only after these negotiations failed were attacks started on their camps.

This fact, not generally known, came out today after Ulfa leader Arabinda Rajkhowa appealed to Bhutan King Jigme Singye Wangchuk, to call off operations against militants.

In the past, the Assam government had tried to get the Border Security Force (BSF) to help the Bhutan Army to conduct operations against the camps.

But this offer was politely refused every time it was made because the Bhutan government was chary of having foreign forces on its soil.

Today, as the Army captured Ulfa's central and general headquarters, Rajkhowa wrote to Wangchuk for reprieve in the interest of the "historical bond" between the people of the region and the royal kingdom.

"The Ulfa appeals to cease all those activities that might get in the way of our legitimate struggle, our fraternity and historical bond," the letter, which was sent to some Guwahati-based media houses, said.

"The kingdom should not allow itself to be used by the Indian Army as a tool to snuff out innocent lives - non-combatant women, children and elders,' he said.

Though the Bhutan government had not confirmed the receipt of the letter, it did say arduous operations against the camps, which were well armed were conducted only after "six years of negotiations failed".

In his letter, Rajkhowa also requested the Himalayan kingdom not to side with its neighbour "as only India will emerge the winner, which will be at the cost of our historic relationship."

Claiming that the army operation was "illegal", Rajkhowa said, "There shall be no extra legal presence of the Ulfa the next moment of resolution of the Indo-Assam conflict. We will not stay longer than is necessary."

Bhutan was a "temporary refuge" of the Ulfa, he said asserting it "did not tantamount to defying the sovereignty of Bhutan or violation of international law".

He also reminded Bhutan about the alleged talks it had held with him and Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah without mentioning its content.

The Bhutanese army reported killing 90 ultras and arresting many including the chief of the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO).

The Bhutan government clarified that it undertook the operation after all attempts at a peaceful solution failed when the militants "never took any negotiation seriously".

The Indian Army, which has sealed the border with Bhutan in Assam and West Bengal, was conducting "complementary exercises" to prevent any of the fleeing ultras from entering the Indian territory, a Bhutan government statement said.

Around 6,000 troops of the Royal Bhutan Army, engaged in evicting the north-east insurgents, have overrun headquarters in Merengphu under the Samdrup Jongkhar district, the main National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) camps in Tikri, Tamdrup Jongkhar and Nganglam and KLO camps in Samtse besides the Ulfa central headquarters since the operations began on Monday.

Intelligence sources in Guwahati said 90 militants and 34 Bhutanese soldiers had been killed in the intense fighting to evict the separatists from 30 well-fortified camps.

The Indian Army had been very helpful in airlifting injured Bhutanese soldiers as a result of which they were getting immediate treatment, they said.