10.04.2006 - Source: BBC News

Assam: Person killed and 7 injured during vote for a new state assembly ("Assam voters head for the polls") [#48707],  [ID 6985]

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08.02.2006 - Source: BBC News

Assam: Government considers release of some detained rebels of United Liberation Front of Assam as a "confidence-building measure"; more than 10,000 died in conflict over a separate Assamese homeland ("India 'could free Assam rebels'") [#43725],  [ID 6986]

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22.10.2005 - Source: BBC News

Assam: Around 30,000 people displaced by clashes between Karbi and Dimasa tribes which left some 90 people dead ("Thousands flee Assam tribal feud") [#38243],  [ID 6987]

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08.09.2005 - Source: BBC News

Assam: Separatist group United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) called strike to protest against death of their founder in Tezpur jail ("Assam paralysed by rebel strike") [#36349],  [ID 6988]

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28.02.2005 - Source: BBC News

Assam: 2 leaders of separatist group United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa), surrendered to police ("Assam separatist chiefs surrender") [#29371],  [ID 6989]

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16.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) [ID 6990]

"[...]The ANVC aims to carve out a homeland called ‘Achik Land’ in the areas of Garo Hills. The proposed ‘Achik Land’ comprises the present districts of Garo Hills in Meghalaya and a large chunk of Kamrup and Goalpara district of Assam. The ‘Garo majority' in these areas is used as the argument for this demand. The ANVC differs from the other Garo separatist organisation, Garo National Council (GNC), which aims for a Garo State comprising only the three districts of the Garo hills.[...]"

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on United Liberation Front of Barak Valley (ULFBV) [ID 6991]

"[...]The ULFBV was formed with the purported objective of creating a separate homeland for the tribal population in the Karimganj and Hailakandi districts of Assam. [...]"

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA) [ID 6992]

"[...]Reportedly, MULTA, as is allegedly the case with the other Islamist terrorist outfits in the State, seeks to mobilise the Muslim youth in Assam to 'fight' for the 'cause' of Muslims. Reports have also indicated that the outfit has as its objective the waging of jehad against India, to eventually set up a 'greater independent Islamistan' for the Muslims of Assam. MULTA cadres, in fact, reports suggest, are attempting to emulate the terrorist outfits operating in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, and claiming that they are waging jehad against the Indian state. [...]"

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on Hmar People's Convention- Democracy [ID 6993]

"Hmar People's Convention- Democracy (HPC-D) is an offshoot of the Hmar People's Convention (HPC), which came into existence in 1986, as a political party spearheading a movement for self-government in the north and northeast of Mizoram. The Hmars, who according to the 1991 census, were 12,535 in number in Mizoram, were disappointed with the contents of the Mizo Peace Accord of 1986, which failed to address their demand of a 'Greater Mizoram' integrating all areas inhabited by Hmars in Mizoram, Assam and Manipur under a single administrative unit.[...]"

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on Koch-Rajbongshi Liberation Organisation (KRLO) [ID 6994]

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on Rabha National Security Force (RNSF) [ID 6995]

"Rabha National Security Force (RNSF) was formed by a group of youth belonging to the Rabha tribe to carve out a separate Rabha hasong (Rabhaland), comprising Goalpara, Bongaigaon and Dhubri districts, outside Assam through armed struggle. Although the RNSF is still in a nascent stage it has established close ties with the most active militant outfit of Assam-- United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). Reports indicate that the RNSF is also trying to forge links with other insurgent groups operating in India’s Northeast. Jabrang Rabha is the self-styled Commander-in-Chief of RNSF. The outfit has a cadre strength of about 120, of whom 40 are being imparted arms training by ULFA along the border of Meghalaya.[...]"

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on Karbi National Volunteers (KNV) [ID 6996]

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on Karbi National Volunteers (KNV) [ID 6997]

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on Dima Halim Daogah [ID 6998]

"[...]It's declared objective is to create a separate State of 'Dimaraji' for the Dimasa (‘sons of the great river’) tribe, comprising Dimasa dominated areas of the North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam and parts of Dimapur district in Nagaland.[...]"

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on BLT [ID 6999]

"[...]A Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) for the creation of the BTC was reached at a tripartite meeting held in New Delhi on February 10, 2003, between the representatives of Union Government, Assam Government and a BLT delegation. The main provisions of the MoS relate 'to creation of the BTC, an autonomous self governing body within the State of Assam and under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India to fulfill economic, educational and linguistic aspirations, socio-cultural and ethnic identity of the Bodos; and to speed up the infrastructure development in BTC area.' The BTC would comprise 3,082 villages in four districts--Kokrajhar and the three yet to be created - Chirang, Udalguri and Baska. The BTC would have 40 elected representatives and the Assam Government would nominate six more. Of the elected representatives, 30 seats would be reserved for tribals, five for non-tribals and the remaining five would be open for general contest. [...]"

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on KLO [ID 7000]

"[...]The objective of the KLO is to carve out a separate Kamtapur State comprising six districts–– Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, North and South Dinajpur and Malda––of West Bengal and four contiguous districts of Assam––Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara. At its inception, the KLO was an over-ground organisation and was formed to address problems such as large-scale unemployment, land alienation, perceived neglect of Kamtapuri language and identity, and grievances of economic deprivation. Soon, its strategy transformed into waging armed struggle.[...]"

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on UPDS [ID 7001]

"The United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) was formed in March 1999 with the merger of two terrorist outfits in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, the Karbi National Volunteers (KNV) and Karbi People’s Front (KPF). [...]"

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12.12.2004 - Source:

Background information on NDFB [ID 7002]

"he National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) was formed on October 3, 1986. The outfit was originally established as the Bodo Security Force (BdSF) under the leadership of Ranjan Daimary. On November 25, 1994, the BdSF rechristened itself as the NDFB. [...]"

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10.2004 - Source: UK Home Office

AFSPA ("Country Report - October 2004") [#28325],  [ID 7003]

"[...]
5.29 As stated in the same report, “The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) of 1958 remained in effect in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and parts of Tripura, and a version of this law was in effect in Jammu and Kashmir. Under this Act, the Government has the power to declare any State or Union Territory a ‘disturbed area’, allows security forces to fire on any person if it is considered "necessary for maintenance of law and order;" the authorities can arrest any person "against whom reasonable suspicion exists" with no obligation to inform the detainee of the grounds for arrest; and the authorities are given immunity from prosecution for any acts committed by them in relation to the Act.” [2c](p10-11)

5.30 BBC news reported on 5 August 2004 that thousands of protesters in Manipur campaigned to demand the withdrawal of the Act after a Manipuri woman was found raped and shot by the security forces, however the latter say they need the special powers to fight the separatists. [32dc] Amnesty International made a public statement on 11 August 2004 and called for a review of the Act. "In areas declared as "disturbed" -- such as in the north-east region -- Amnesty International is concerned that the AFSPA:
• facilitates grave human rights violations,
• empowers the security forces to arrest and enter property without warrant,
• gives the security forces powers to use excessive force, including to shoot to kill without members of the security force lives being at imminent risk,
• facilitates impunity because no person can start legal action against any member of the armed forces for anything done under the Act without permission of the Central Government,
• by certain of its provisions violates articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)…"[3j]
[...]"

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10.2004 - Source: UK Home Office

Disturbed Areas Act ("Country Report - October 2004") [#28325],  [ID 7004]

"[...]
5.31 As reported in the US State Department report 2003, the Disturbed Areas Act remained in effect in several states in which active secessionist movements exist, namely, in Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, and parts of Tripura. The Disturbed Areas Act gives police extraordinary powers of arrest and detention.[2c](p3)
[...]"

Document(s): Open document

07.04.2004 - Source: BBC News

North-east India: 5 leading separatist groups have rejected an offer of unconditional talks made by the Prime Minister ("Indian separatists reject talks offer") [#21178],  [ID 7005]

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25.02.2004 - Source: US Department of State

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003 ("Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003") [#19765],  [ID 7006]

"[...] Numerous tribal movements demanded the protection of land and property rights. The Jharkhand Movement in Bihar and Orissa and the Bodo Movement in Assam reflected deep economic and social grievances among indigenous peoples. As a result of complaints, largely tribal-populated states were created in 2000 from the Jharkand area of Bihar and the Chhattisgrah region of Madhya Pradesh. There was also some local autonomy for tribal people in the northeast. [...]
In February, the Assamese government, the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) and the Government signed a tripartite agreement to create the Bodoland Territorial Council, an autonomous self-governing body.[...]"

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