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ULFA hails truce by Centre | |
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http://www.sentinelassam.com/ 19 August 2006 |
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By a Staff Reporter | |
Ulfa agrees to ceasefire
[ 19 Aug, 2006 0155hrs IST
TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1906200.cms
GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI: Keen to engage the Centre in talks, Ulfa on Friday announced a ceasefire. The announcement by Paresh Barua, chief of the secessionist outfit, to the media came after the Centre turned down its demand for the release of five of its key members in response to a mere "commitment to non-violence" conveyed by Ulfa's emissaries to NSA M K Narayanan earlier in the day.
In the meeting with two Ulfa emissaries, Indira Goswami and Rebati Phukan, Narayanan had repeated the Centre's stand of June 22 that it would only deal directly with Ulfa and that too only when they had given up violence.
The stance clearly worked with Barua, who is holed up in Bangladesh, blinking within hours of the meeting with emissaries which was also attended by home secretary V K Duggal and IB chief E S L Narasimhan.
Centre's response to the ceasefire will be worth watching because of the perception that it has not been able to sort out its stance towards a group, which has been stubbornly secessionist and has increasingly been targeting innocent civilians it claims to represent.
Sources said that Phukan and Goswami delivered a "message from Ulfa" to the Centre, details of which neither of the sides was willing to divulge. But it is understood that it pertained to the modalities for talks and the condition to release its leaders first.
They will meet again next week to thrash out details about the ceasefire, a process which has been on since the meeting between the Ulfa-appointed People's Consultative Group and the home ministry on June 22, when they, in a statement, agreed upon the conditions for talks to start.
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Delhi 's goodwill gesture melts outfit ULFA CALLS TRUCE http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060819/asp/frontpage/story_6629270.asp |
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OUR BUREAU |
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Guwahati/New Delhi, Aug. 18: The outlawed Ulfa tonight announced "cessation of hostilities" for the first time in its 27-year history, continuing the remarkable recovery of a peace process that appeared to be doomed to fail just about a week ago. Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa telephoned newspaper offices to make the announcement on a day when writer-mediator Mamoni Raisom Goswami and her associate Rebati Phukan met national security adviser M.K. Narayanan and Union home secretary V.K. Duggal in New Delhi to review the peace process. Rajkhowa said the unilateral ceasefire was a logical response to Delhi's "goodwill gesture" of suspending army operations in Assam for 10 days. Ironically, the order for suspension of operations from Sunday came in the midst of a wave of pre-Independence Day attacks by Ulfa militants on security forces and soft targets. The Ulfa chairman said his organisation now expected Delhi to pave the way for its direct participation in the peace talks by releasing five jailed militant leaders. Earlier in the day, Goswami and Phukan emerged from Narayanan's office looking buoyant and sounding confident about where the peace process was headed. They claimed to have received "signals" from the national security adviser and the home secretary that Delhi would free five jailed Ulfa leaders soon to facilitate direct talks with the outfit. Duggal said the 20-minute discussion was "on positive lines" but did not give details. He only confirmed that another meeting was slated for Tuesday. Left to do all the talking, Phukan said the modalities for the release of Ulfa leaders would be finalised in the next meeting. "We got some signals that they (jailed Ulfa leaders) may be released," he added. Today's meeting, Phukan pointed out, was essentially a review of what was discussed during the third round of parleys between the Ulfa-constituted People's Consultative Group and Delhi. Duggal had indicated then that the release of jailed Ulfa leaders would depend on the banned militant group's response to appeals to shun violence. Goswami claimed Ulfa was now "committed to non-violence", which is why it had disbanded its notorious 28th battalion. She said the fact that there was no violence on Independence Day proved the outfit's sincerity. On whether Narayanan and Duggal clearly mentioned that five jailed Ulfa leaders would be freed soon, the writer said they assured her and Phukan that "everything will be looked into with lots of sympathy". Goswami denied that the talks were deadlocked, quoting from the minutes of the meeting to drive home the point that Delhi was indeed contemplating the release of the jailed militants, as demanded by Ulfa. Narayanan's presence at the meeting was one of the reasons for the PCG functionaries' optimism. Goswami and Phukan, a childhood friend of Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, had expected only Duggal to meet them. Asked if the period of suspension of operations by the government was likely to be extended, Goswami said the picture would be clearer by Tuesday. But with Ulfa taking the big step today itself, the announcement could come sooner. Ulfa was formed in 1979 in the Upper Assam town of Sivasagar by a group of men led by Rajkhowa and Paresh Barua. It has since been engaged in an armed campaign to create a "sovereign" Assam. |
Ulfa calls truce
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=126814
Press Trust of India
GUWAHATI, Aug. 18: The banned United Liberation Front of India today announced a "cessation of hostilities" for the first time in its 27-year-old armed campaign for a separate homeland.
In an e-mailed message to the media here, Ulfa "chairman" Arabindo Rajkhowa said the organisation "respected the Centre's decision to suspend army operations and as a reciprocal gesture, has announced (the) cessation of hostilities".
The Centre, on Sunday, had temporarily suspended Army operations against Ulfa in Assam, apparently to pave the way for direct talks with the outlawed group.
Rajkhowa's e-mail expressed the hope that Ulfa's decision would pave the way for direct talks with the Centre. He also warned "evil forces" against taking advantage of the "ceasefire" to malign his organisation. Rajkhowa said the Ulfa's decision to stop hostilities to facilitate talks was a reflection of the popular mood in
Assam.
Earlier in New Delhi, the Centre today held discussions with two mediators negotiating on behalf of the Ulfa for direct talks with the outlawed group.
Emerging from the talks chaired by national security advisor Mr MK Narayanan, Union home secretary Mr VK Duggal told reporters: "It was a good meeting. It was positive and we have decided to meet again after a few days." The two mediators ~ noted writer Indira Goswami and Ms Rebati Phukan ~ said that the two sides reviewed progress made after the last meeting on 22 June between the Ulfa-nominated People's Consultative Group and the Centre. Asked about the Centre's response to the Ulfa's demand for the release of five jailed leaders, Goswami said: "We are hopeful."
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