Arunachal Pradesh Timeline - 2006

January 7

Arunachal Pradesh Police arrested six persons in connection with smuggling explosives after a routine search operation. The arrested persons were traveling from Tezpur in Assam in a mini truck when the Police intercepted them at Hari Bridge near Seppa, headquarters of the East Kameng District, and recovered 39 gelatin sticks, 13 detonator caps and 4 coils of fusewire from their possession.

January 15

The Myanmar Army has begun fresh operations against the NSCN-K in co-ordination with the Indian Army. Helicopter gun-ships have reportedly been used in operations that have led to serious casualty among the militants, official sources said. The Myanmar Army's operation came after a gap of less then four months, when it had targeted camps in areas adjoining the Tirap and Changlang Districts of Arunachal Pradesh in India's Northeast. Sources in the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi, while confirming reports, said that the operation began about a week ago and the Armies of the two countries were working in close co-ordination.

February 11

The Union Government has brought Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh under the Surrender and Rehabilitation Reimbursement scheme apart from the States of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura. The scheme, which would be retrospectively effective from April 2005, would provide a stipend of INR 2000 per month for three years to each surrendered militant and an immediate grant of INR 150 000.

Union Minister Oscar Fernandes said that the Union Government is "determined" to find a solution to the Naga conflict. Replying to a question on whether a mutually acceptable solution could be found during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance Government, the Minister said, "I would not venture to say when we will be able to find a solution. But I will be bold enough to say that we will be able to find a solution." On whether Government will take up the issue of integration of Naga-dominated areas, as demanded by the NSCN-IM, with the Governments of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, Fernandes said, "Our purpose is to reach a solution, not to have hurdles in between."

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has reported the increasing flow of illicit drugs into India's Northeast from neighbouring Myanmar. The UNODC, in association with the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, released a report, highlighting the emerging trends of drug use in the region. The report added that at least seven major routes running through four States sharing border with Myanmar - Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh -have been identified through which drugs such as 'Number 4' (heroin) and amphetamine are easily smuggled.

The Districts that are worst affected by the drugs trafficking are Chandel and Imphal in Manipur, and Kohima and Tuensang in Nagaland. "There has been crackdown on drug barons in Thailand and Laos recently, following which drug traders from Myanmar must have shifted their attention to North-East. Also there are possibilities of amphetamine producing units being shifted to areas adjacent to Manipur and Nagaland,'' said an official of the Narcotics Control Bureau.

Five SF personnel, who were abducted by suspected NDFB cadres on May 21 from the Udalguri District of Assam, were found dead at Belsiri Nala under Bhairabkunda police outpost in the dense forest of West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam and Bhutan. A civilian, Babul Kalita, who was also abducted along with the SF personnel, was reportedly found dead on May 22.

Assam Police summoned the NDFB cadres for interrogation following an investigation indicating their involvement in the abduction and subsequent killing of five SF personnel. The five SF personnel were reportedly abducted from Udalguri District of Assam on May 21, and were later found dead in the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh on May 29.

SFs arrested three NSCN-IM cadres from Khonsa in the Tirap District. A Chinese made 9mm pistol, a mobile phone, extortion notes and incriminating documents were recovered from their possession.

A group of women cadres of the ULFA managed to escape following an encounter with SF personnel at Khowji village in the Lohit District on an unspecified date.

Arunachal Pradesh Police arrested five persons, Nuney Tayang, Nakul Chai, Dwarika Meso, Surendra Singh and Makhan Hazarika, from Lohit District for helping the ULFA. While four of them were office bearers of the State Congress, another one was a relative of a leader of the party. This arrest was followed by interrogation of a cadre of the outfit, Dipankar Gogoi, who was earlier arrested from the same District.

The Union Government is reported to have warned to scrap the extension of cease-fire with the NDFB following its suspected involvement in the abduction and subsequent killing of six persons including five SF personnel, along the India-Bhutan border. While the civilian was found dead at Udalguri District of Assam, the place of abduction, on May 22, the dead bodies of SF personnel were recovered at Belsiri Nala under Bhairabkunda Police outpost in the dense jungle of West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Assam and Bhutan, on May 29.

The Union Government reportedly agreed, in its first round of talks with NDFB at New Delhi on May 27, to extend the truce that was signed with the outfit on May 25, 2005. According to the source in the Assam Chief Minister's Office, which communicated the Union Government's warning to the outfit, "Delhi has made it clear that it will do everything for peace but reckless acts will not be tolerated. It has also asked the outfit to keep a close watch on mischief-mongers in its ranks. Otherwise the ceasefire will be reviewed."

A decomposed dead body of a suspected ULFA cadre was recovered from a drain at Bordumsa in the Changlang District on an unspecified date.

Nagaland Post quoting Press Trust of India has reported that the Myanmarese Army has launched an operation against the ULFA along the border areas adjoining Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, where the group is suspected to have set up new camps.

Sentinel quoting intelligence sources reports that the ULFA planned to cut off the road communication by blowing up all the bridges and culverts in areas along the India-Myanmar international border as well as Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter-State border to stop the movement of Army while carrying out its counter-insurgency operations against the outfit in Assam.

One ULFA cadre, Gagan Phukan, was arrested by SF personnel in a search operation at New Lathao under Namsai police station in the Lohit District.

The ULFA reportedly sent many of its cadres to get trained in handling explosives at its transit camps in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh, the Garo Hills of Meghalaya and the border areas of Bhutan. Consequent to this, the report said that the ULFA could trigger at least 100 blasts in 2006. The explosions figure was 121 in 2005 and 103 in 2004, compared to only 37 in 2002 and 2003. Reports added that the ULFA has switched over from "difficult and risky" military combat to the more damaging but easy-to-execute Jihadi-type operations in urban areas.

An unnamed Police official said the outfit has been left with only about 800 "hardcore" cadres, making it more wary about exposing its core strike group to direct military confrontation. "Ulfa is definitely facing a manpower crisis, which is why it is avoiding military tactics like laying an ambush on security forces. Planting explosives and lobbing grenades in public places, preferably under cover of darkness, constitute the new modus operandi of Ulfa operations," said the Police official.

A person belonging to the Adi tribe, identified as Biru Tayeng, and a ULFA linkman, Keshab Bora, were arrested by SF personnel during a search operation at Sarkholia Chapori along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on an unspecified date. A single-barrel gun, explosives and some ULFA-related literature were reportedly recovered from Tayeng's possession. The report added that arrest of Tayeng prevented the ULFA's attempt of gaining free passage for its cadres in certain areas of the Subansiri, Kameng and Siang Districts, inhabited by the Adi community.

Factional clash among the ULFA militants occurred leaving three militants, including 'commander' of the '28^th battalion', Prabal Neog alias Benu Bora, dead at unspecified places inside the Manabhum Reserve Forest in the Lohit District.

A ULFA militant, Bodhiya Bhumij, and a linkman of the outfit belonging to Bangladesh, Dildar Hussain, were arrested by SF personnel during a search operation at Ticklipam under Namsai Police Station in Lohit District.

A NSCN-IM cadre, Chapong Lowang, was arrested while extorting money from traders at Khonsa in the Tirap District. A vehicle with fake registration number and incriminating documents were seized from his possession. Lowang confessed during interrogation that he has been visiting Nepal frequently. He is suspected to have used the extorted money to procure arms and ammunition from Nepal.

The ULFA chief, Arabinda Rajkhowa, said in an emailed statement to the media that Nagaland had set up four subdivisions- Kohoboto, Niuland, Uriamghat and Hukaiare - in Golaghat and Karbi Anglong Districts along Assam-Nagaland border. He accused the Assam Government of being soft towards Nagaland. He also condemned political parties for not taking a strong stand on the NSCN-IM's demand for a "greater Nagalim", including the Naga-inhabited areas of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

Army personnel in Arunachal Pradesh launched a military operation against ULFA cadres who are reportedly hiding in the thickly forested areas of the State. Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Jarbom Gamlin said that the offensive began in the Lower Dibang Valley District.