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SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 14, No. 13, September 28, 2015
Data and
assessments from SAIR can be freely published in any form
with credit to the South Asia Intelligence Review of the
South Asia Terrorism Portal
|
Conflicting
Reconciliation
Ajit
Kumar Singh
Research
Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management
In a significant
shift in policy, on September 24, 2015, Colombo decided
to co-sponsor a draft resolution (A/HRC/30/L.29) that
was tabled at the 30th session of the United
Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. The draft
resolution titled ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability
and human rights in Sri Lanka’, based on the findings
of the OISL [OHCHR (Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights) Investigation on Sri Lanka],
was sponsored by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Montenegro; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland; and United States of America (USA). Notably,
the previous regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa had vehemently
opposed
a strident campaign by the international community, particularly
western nations, to interfere in the country's internal
affairs in the guise of 'investigation of war crimes'
through the adoption of such resolutions.
Hours after
the draft resolution was submitted to the Human Rights
Council, announcing his Government’s decision on September
24, 2015, Sri Lankan Prime Minister (PM) Ranil Wickremesinghe
declared, “Our representative in Geneva, along with the
US representative and delegates from other countries agreed
to co-sponsor the draft resolution. We are no longer in
a cage, and we no longer have to face the pressures. As
such of the biggest issues facing our country in the past
five to six years has been removed (and) we can face the
future with confidence. We can face the future without
fear… We have agreed on implementing a political solution
and bringing in the necessary constitutional reforms.
The world has accepted the fact that we are building a
democratic society.”
Wickremesinghe
also disclosed that a special Judicial Commission, the
“Office of the Special Counsel”, subject to local laws
and regulations, would be set up to investigate allegations
of human rights violations and promote reconciliation
and accountability: “We will certainly obtain help not
only from Sri Lankans but Commonwealth and foreign judges
and lawyers… But it will have to be carried out under
the Sri Lankan Constitution.”
Some of
the operative paragraphs of the draft
resolution include:
The Human
Rights Council
-
Welcomes
the positive engagement between the Government of
Sri Lanka and the High Commissioner and his Office
since January 2015 and encourages the continuation
of such engagement in the promotion and protection
of human rights and in exploring appropriate forms
of international support to and participation in Sri
Lankan processes for seeking truth and justice
-
Recognizes
the need for a process of accountability and reconciliation
for violations and abuses committed by the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam as highlighted in the OISL report
-
Encourages
the Government of Sri Lanka… for the trial and punishment
of those most responsible for the full range of crimes
under the general principles of law recognized by
the community of nations relevant to violations and
abuses of human rights and violations of international
humanitarian law, including during the period covered
by the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission
[LLRC]. The LLRC was mandated to inquire and report
on matters that may have taken place during the period
between February 21, 2002, and May 19, 2009. The LTTE
and the Government had signed ceasefire agreement
on February 21, 2002. The ceasefire ended on January
16, 2008. Subsequently, the war began which officially
ended on May 19, 2009.]
-
Encourages
the Government of Sri Lanka to introduce effective
security sector reforms as part of its transitional
justice process that will help enhance the reputation
and professionalism of the military and include ensuring
that no scope exists for retention in or recruitment
into the security forces of anyone credibly implicated
through a fair administrative process in serious crimes
involving human rights violations or abuses or violations
of international humanitarian law including members
of the security and intelligence units; and increasing
training and incentives focused on the promotion and
protection of human rights of all Sri Lankans
-
Welcomes
the Government’s recognition that accountability is
essential to uphold the rule of law and build confidence
in the people of all communities of Sri Lanka in the
justice system, takes note with appreciation of the
Government of Sri Lanka’s proposal to establish a
Judicial Mechanism with a Special Counsel to investigate
allegations of violations and abuses of human rights
and violations of international humanitarian law,
as applicable; and affirms that a credible justice
process should include independent judicial and prosecutorial
institutions led by individuals known for integrity
and impartiality; and further affirms in this regard
the importance of participation in a Sri Lankan judicial
mechanism, including the Special Counsel’s office,
of Commonwealth and other foreign judges, defence
lawyers, and authorized prosecutors and investigators
-
Welcomes
the initial steps taken to return land and encourages
the Government to accelerate the return of land to
its rightful civilian owners, and to undertake further
efforts to tackle the considerable work that lies
ahead in the areas of land use and ownership, in particular
the ending of military involvement in civilian activities,
the resumption of livelihoods and the restoration
of normality to civilian life, and stresses the importance
of the full participation of local populations, including
representatives of civil society and minorities, in
these efforts
-
Welcomes
the Government’s commitment to a political settlement
by taking the necessary constitutional measures and
encourages the Government of Sri Lanka’s efforts to
fulfill its commitments on the devolution of political
authority, which is integral to reconciliation and
the full enjoyment of human rights by all members
of its population; and encourages the Government of
Sri Lanka to ensure that all Provincial Councils,
are able to operate effectively, in accordance with
the 13th amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka
The Tamil
National Alliance (TNA), which is the largest Tamil political
party and has been the main advocatory of a foreign-led
investigation into war crimes, has welcomed the Government’s
decision. In a statement issued on September 25, 2015,
TNA observed, "In particular, we welcome the draft
resolution's call on Sri Lanka to involve foreign and
Commonwealth judges, lawyers, investigators and defenders
in a judicial mechanism to be set up in Sri Lanka that
would be mandated to try international crimes. This constitutes
a significant victory for justice in Sri Lanka.” The statement
went on to add that TNA was committed to help the Government
and international stakeholders evolve such a court, and
will support its work, arguing, "A court established
on these lines would represent a dramatic break from the
past and could herald the beginning of an end to impunity."
Though it admitted that it is "acutely aware that
some of the language used in the interests of a consensus
will not satisfy all victims of the conflict whom we represent
and who have reposed their trust in the TNA", it
asserted, "However, we are of the view that the draft
provides a constructive starting point for what will inevitably
be a long road to reconciliation."
At present,
TNA has been recognized as the Main Opposition and its
leader R. Sampanthan was designated as Opposition Leader.
TNA has 16 Members in the current Sri Lankan Parliament,
for which elections were held in August 2015. Out of 13
seats for which elections were held in the Northern Province,
TNA won nine. Similarly, out of 13 seats in the Eastern
Province, TNA won five. In total, TNA won 14 ‘District-basis
seats’ and two 'National-basis seats' [The District-basis
seats are those for which direct elections are held. There
are 29 'National-level seats' which, according to the
15th Amendment to the Constitution, which introduced Article
99A, are decided on the basis of the total number of votes
polled by the respective political parties or independent
groups at the national level.] TNA is also the ruling
party in the Northern Provincial Council. Any positive
testimonial on the part of the party augurs well for Colombo
in its pursuit of a permanent resolution, as TNA has a
major say in the Tamil dominated regions. Significantly,
on September 4, 2015, TNA spokesman M. A. Sumanthiran
had stated, “We will talk to the Government straightaway
with a view to resolving the long outstanding matter.”
Bilateral talks between the TNA and the Sri Lankan Government
which commenced in January 2011 went on till January 2012.
No talks have taken place thereafter.
Meanwhile,
PM Wickremesinghe apparently buckling under domestic pressure,
on September 27, 2015, backtracked, declaring that Sri
Lanka's domestic mechanism to probe the alleged rights
abuses during the military conflict with the LTTE cannot
have foreign judges due to constitutional impediments,
and that his Government could “only act within the framework
of the Sri Lankan Constitution, which does not allow foreign
judges to operate in the country.” However, “Sri Lanka
will seek the consultations of foreign judges and lawyers
for the domestic mechanism to probe the alleged rights
violations…” For this, a new law would be introduced to
allow the foreign judges and lawyers, who want to “assist”
in the investigation process, to operate under the Sri
Lankan system in providing assistance for the investigations.
He also disclosed that the Government had discussed this
with USA. Wickremesinghe disclosed that Foreign Minister
Mangala Samaraweera will apprise the UNHRC of the constitutional
constraints when Sri Lanka will be discussed in Geneva
on 30th September.
Indeed,
former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who along with his
brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the former Secretary of Defence,
is the foremost among those who could be tried for their
role during the war, claimed that the resolution has “hostile
provisions”. He stated that even if the Government is
going to accept this resolution and allow it to pass by
consensus, they should ensure that the “hostile provisions”
are removed and the resolution is brought into line with
the expectations of the people of Sri Lanka. On September
22, 2015, prior to the tabling of the draft resolution,
he had called upon the government to reject the OISL report.
Reports
suggest that Wickremesinghe has asserted that he and his
Government had saved both the Rajapaksas (Mahinda and
his brother Gotabhaya) from facing an international war
crimes inquiry by "properly handling" the issue.
This, however, would give cold comfort to the Rajapaksas,
since nothing in the draft UNHRC resolution suggests that
they would be excluded from the ‘reconciliation and accountability’
process. Clearly, moreover, no such exemption could extend
to other leaders and top military commanders either.
It is useful
to note that, though the ruling National Government has
a 2/3rd majority in Parliament, many of its
members are Rajapaksa loyalists. They may have been pacified
with ministerial or deputy ministerial positions, but
could, at any point of time, switch allegiance and destabilize
the Government. This is among the most emotive and polarizing
issues in Sri Lankan politics, and would affect Rajapaksa
most, thus creating enormous opportunities for destabilization.
Further,
the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), a leftist formation,
called on the Government not to comply with the UNHRC
moves. The LSSP General Secretary Prof. Tissa Vitharana
declared, "We oppose all forms of discrimination
on the basis of race, religion, caste or gender. As such
we shall support all genuine efforts made by the present
Government to achieve reconciliation and national unity,
provided no outside interference is permitted. If the
need for any foreign assistance should arise it could
be sought by us at our discretion. It must not be thrust
on us as is being attempted by the UNHRC." Another
leftist party, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP, People's
United Front), also opposed the move.
Earlier,
welcoming the decision, US Secretary of State John Kerry
had noted, "This resolution marks an important step
towards a credible transitional justice process, owned
by Sri Lankans and with the support and involvement of
the international community. The resolution will help
families of the missing find answers about their loved
ones. And it lays out a path to provide truth, justice,
reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence that the
Sri Lankan people deserve, while safeguarding the reputation
of those, including within the military, who conducted
themselves with honour and professionalism." Kerry
importantly added, “In the past year, the Sri Lankan people
have twice voted to put Sri Lanka on the path to peace
and turned their country away from a divisive approach
that for too long sapped Sri Lanka’s strength.”
An environment
suitable for the ‘reconciliation process’ on the ethnic
issue began to crystallize soon after Maithripala Sirisena
assumed power as the Seventh Elected Executive President
of Sri Lanka on January 9, 2015, defeating the then President
Mahinda Rajapaksa. The subsequent victory of Ranil Wickremesinghe
in General Elections further strengthened this process,
as Rajapaksa lost the elections this time as well.
When Colombo
decided to sponsor this draft resolution containing some
of the major demands by ethnic Tamils, it was expected
that the impediments in the path towards setting up an
institutional mechanism for the reconciliation process
would further diminish. However, the change in stand on
the issue of foreign judges, the most vital aspect of
this resolution, is indeed a setback in this direction
and a lot will depend on the wording of the final draft,
to be adopted in few days time. The draft resolution which
was tabled on September 24, 2015, was itself much diluted
in comparison to earlier resolutions, and any further
dilution is likely to antagonize the Tamil political formations.
Notably, one of the ‘operative paragraphs’ of the UNHCR
resolution
adopted on March 27, 2014, had stated that it, “Calls
upon the Government of Sri Lanka to release publicly the
results of its investigations into alleged violations
by security forces, including the attack on unarmed protesters
in Weliweriya on 1 August 2013, and the report of 2013
by the court of inquiry of the Sri Lanka Army”. It had
taken note “of the recommendations and conclusions of
the High Commissioner regarding ongoing human rights violations
and the need for an international inquiry mechanism in
the absence of a credible national process with tangible
results, and requests the Office of the High Commissioner…”
Crucially,
there is absence of any such direct reference of allegations
against the SFs as well as the demand of international
inquiry in the current draft resolution.
The ‘watering
down’ was very much expected as the US policy towards
Sri Lanka had changed. John Kerry during his two-day visit
to Sri Lanka in May 2015, during a function at Taj Samudra
Hotel, Colombo, on May 2, 2015, had stated, “It is sometimes
necessary to go to war, despite the pain it brings. For
all of my country’s disagreements with the previous government
in Sri Lanka over how it fought the LTTE, we clearly understood
the necessity of ridding this country of a murderous terrorist
group and the fear that it sowed.” The change in policy
was primarily because of rising Chinese interest in Sri
Lanka due to its strategic location. Kerry had then pointed
out: “Your country sits at the crossroads of Africa, South
Asia and East Asia... The Indian Ocean is the world’s
most important commercial highway.”
Colombo
has done exemplary work in rehabilitation and the restoration
of the Northern Province in its attempt to win the hearts
and minds of people residing in the region, and the latest
decision is a further gambit in that direction. It remains
to be seen, however, whether the institutional mechanisms
to pursue the ends of ‘reconciliation and accountability’
actually succeed in serving these ends, or become part
of an abrasive political process between polarized ethnic
communities. It is significant that several grievances
over power sharing and the equality of status and rights
of all citizens continue to be articulated by the Tamil
leadership.
|
Maoists:
Penetrating Intelligence
Fakir
Mohan Pradhan
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
Three recent
incidents in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Telangana demonstrate
improving levels of intelligence penetration of Communist
Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist)
ranks.
On September
25, the Chhattisgarh Police arrested seven ‘Maoist suppliers’
and seized 1,750 kilograms of explosives in the restive
region. The seizures included 750 kilograms of Gelatin,
1,000 kilograms of Ammonium Nitrate, a big bundle of Cordex
wire, eight fake number plates of four-wheelers and three
cars being used to supply the material to the Maoists,
from two locations, and arrested Gourishankar Mohanty,
Anil Kumar Jena, Bhushan Kumar Gonda, Rajendra, Uttam
Swain and Sujit Pani, along with Kamalkant Swain, a mining
engineer. All of them were from Odisha. According to a
statement by the Police, they had been tracking a network
of urban Maoist suppliers for a long time. A few days
before the arrests, Police received information that Kamalkant
would be meeting the Maoist leader of the Darbha area,
Vinod, to strike a supply deal. A trap was laid on the
Darbha-Pakhnar Road. Kamalkant, Gourishankar Mohanty,
Anil Kumar Jena and Bhushan Kumar Gonda, who were transporting
the explosives in a pick-up vehicle, were arrested. After
interrogation, Kamalkant told the Police about another
consignment that was being delivered to the Maoists in
Nagarnar. Another trap was laid near Markot Tiria and
Rajendra, Uttam Swain and Sujit Pani were arrested, and
20 bags of ammonium nitrate and two vehicles were seized.
On September
19, Sonadhar, the secretary of the CPI-Maoist’s Kanger
Valley ‘area committee’ was killed along with two other
cadres of the Darbha Division (in Bastar, Chhattisgarh)
by the Odisha Police, in an encounter near Kotaguda village
in the Malkangiri District of Odisha, close to the Darbha
area of Chhattisgarh. Sonadhar was instrumental in the
Darbha
Valley attack on the Congress party
convoy on May 25, 2013, in which at least 27 people, including
Mahendra Karma, some senior Congress leaders and 10 Security
Force (SF) personnel, were killed. Sonadhar also played
a major role in the Tahakwada Maoist ambush in March 2014,
which resulted in the killing of 16 people, including
11 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. A reward
of INR 500,000 had been declared against him by the Odisha
Police and another INR 800,000 by the Chhattisgarh Police.
According
Police sources, Sonadhar had lately become complacent,
believing that the Odisha Police were not very active,
especially in border areas close to Chhattisgarh. He used
to move around on bicycles with an AK-47 and an UBGL in
many border villages. On September 19, Odisha Police received
intelligence inputs regarding his presence in a village
market. Sonadhar and another two Maoists were killed in
the subsequent encounter.
Earlier,
two CPI-Maoist cadres, identified as Sruthi alias
Mahitha (23), native of Waddepally, Hanamkonda and an
engineering graduate, and Vidyasagar Reddy alias
Sagar (32), native of Dharmasagar mandal of Warangal
District, were killed in an encounter with the Police
in the Vengayapally area of Tadwai mandal in the
Warangal District of Telangana on September 15. It is
suspected that the CPI-Maoist Karimnagar-Khammam-Warangal
(KKW) ‘divisional secretary' Damodar and several others
managed to escape from the spot. Police recovered two
weapons – one .303 and a carbine – and several kit bags,
from the scene.
Sruthi’s
parents, Sudarshanam and Rama Devi, alleged that their
daughter was killed in a fake encounter. They told the
media that their daughter was arrested, tortured and killed
in a cruel manner by the Police. “She joined the Maoists
to achieve people’s Telangana and to fight for the poor
Adivasis. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Ministers
and the Police should own responsibility for her death,”
Sudarshanam said. The parents of Vidyasagar Reddy remained
silent over the death of their son. Sagar, who had passed
the tenth class, used to work as a car driver and worked
with a private seeds company before joining the Maoist
party just a month earlier, the parents disclosed.
Though
the incident was widely discussed in the media, highlighting
it as the first ‘encounter’ against the Maoists in Telangana
State since its formation, in an earlier incident on December
14, 2014, a suspected CPI-Maoist cadre, identified as
Karam Narasimha Rao, was killed and another person was
injured in a clash with the Police in the Cherla mandal
of Khammam District. The latest incident has, however,
dispelled perception that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi
(TRS) Government in Telangana was ‘soft’ towards the Maoists.
Significantly, at least seven members of the ‘KKW divisional
committee; were killed in an intelligence-based
operation by the Andhra Pradesh Police
Greyhounds on April 16, 2013, a few kilometres
across the border, in Chhattisgarh.
The three
incidents clearly demonstrate better intelligence gathering
in the core areas of Maoist activity, and also indicate
a degree of ‘softening’ of the Maoist grip even in areas
of earlier dominance. The incident in Odisha’s Malkangiri
District, in which Sonadhar was killed, moreover, came
amidst a wave of Maoist surrenders in the District. Since
September 1, 2015, 55 Maoists, including 11 village committee
members, at least three Maoists carrying rewards, 40 described
as cadres, and more than 800 ‘supporters’, have surrendered
before the District
Police. Most of the surrenders are from the Podia Police
Station limits, while some are from the Kalimela Police
Station area of Malkangiri District.
The wave
of Maoist surrenders in Malkangiri is reminiscent of the
earlier surge of surrenders in the Narayanpatna area of
Koraput
and in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
In Narayanpatna more than 2,400 Maoists and their supporters
had surrendered, including some armed cadre, but most
of them active or passive supporters of the Chasi Mulia
Adivasi Sangh (CMAS), a Maoist front organisation. This
had a devastating impact on Maoist capabilities and dramatically
reduced violence in the area. Koraput District, which
used to be a very strong
Maoist base has recorded relatively
low levels of violence, with just one Maoist-related fatality
so far in 2015. Such a low level of violence in Koraput
has not been seen, at least since 2008.
Similarly,
though questions regarding the quality/significance of
the surrenders in Bastar through 2014 were raised, there
has been some improvement in the quality of arrests and
surrenders and better targeting of Maoists in Chhattisgarh,
indicating better intelligence flows. Thus, the SATP database
indicates that the arrest, surrender or killing of Maoists
above the cadre or supporter level in 2015 (data till
September 27) stood at 39; 63 in 2014; 14 in 2013; 25
in 2012; 10 in 2011; and nine in 2010, clearly indicating
improving trends in targeting the middle rungs of leadership.
In the past, SFs had suffered significant losses as a
result of deficient intelligence in the Maoist core areas,
particularly the Bastar Division in Chhattisgarh and the
Malkangiri and Koraput Districts of Odisha.
Despite
these recent and rising successes, however, it is useful
to note that none of the major arrests, surrenders or
killings has been of the top level leadership. While Sonadhar
has been described by the Odisha Police as the ‘mastermind’
of the Darbha attack, this conflicts with the National
Investigation Agency’s (NIA’s) chargesheet, which indicates
that Sonadhar played an active role in arranging eatables
and other logistics for the Maoists, carried out a recce
for the ambush, mobilised Janmilitia with domestic weapons
as the local area committee secretary and participated
in the attack. However, it was the “South Regional Unified
Command (SRUC) of CPI (Maoist)” which hatched the conspiracy
to carry out the attack, and cadres from 2nd Central Regional
Command (CRC-2), military Coy No -2, Platoon No 24 &
26 operating in Darbha Division, and LGS/LOS members of
the Darbha Division Committee, who carried out the attack
under the overall Command of Barse Sukka aka Deva
of the Darbha Divisional Committee.
The improving
trends in SF dominance and the weakening hold of the Maoists
is encouraging, and demonstrates better intelligence flows
from the rebels’ core areas, but the successful evasion
by the Maoist leadership is an index of the long struggle
that lies ahead.
|
Weekly Fatalities:
Major Conflicts in South Asia
September 21-27, 2015
|
Civilians
|
Security
Force Personnel
|
Terrorists/Insurgents
|
Total
|
INDIA
|
|
Assam
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
Jammu and
Kashmir
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Meghalaya
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
Left-Wing
Extremism
|
|
Chhattisgarh
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
Total (INDIA)
|
0
|
1
|
6
|
7
|
PAKISTAN
|
|
Balochistan
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
KP
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
6
|
Sindh
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
PAKISTAN
(Total)
|
|
|
|
|
Provisional
data compiled from English language media sources.
|
BANGLADESH
ABT
issues
global
hit
list
of
bloggers,
writers
and
activists:
Ansarullah
Bangla
Team
(ABT)
has
issued
a
hit
list
of
secular
bloggers,
writers
and
activists
around
the
world,
saying
they
will
be
killed
if
its
demands
are
not
met.
The
targets
in
the
list
include
nine
bloggers
based
in
the
UK,
seven
in
Germany,
two
in
the
US,
one
in
Canada
and
one
in
Sweden.
Some
are
Bangladeshi
citizens
living
overseas.
Others
are
dual
nationals
or
citizens
of
the
western
nations.
The
statement
featured
a
logo
comprising
a
black
flag
carrying
the
seal
of
the
prophet
Mohammed
and
the
phrase:
"We
do
not
forget,
we
do
not
forgive"
in
English.
Dhaka
Tribune,
September
24,
2015.
"There's
no
possibility
of
the
rise
of
radicalism
in
Bangladesh",
asserts
Prime
Minister
Sheikh
Hasina
Wajed:
Prime
Minister
(PM)
Sheikh
Hasina
Wajed
on
September
21
ruled
out
any
possibility
of
the
rise
of
radicalism
in
Bangladesh.
"There's
no
possibility
of
the
rise
of
radicalism
in
Bangladesh.
Our
intelligence
and
law
enforcement
agencies
are
very
active
and
alert
so
that
they
can
thwart
any
such
attempt,"
she
said.
The
PM
made
the
comments
when
visiting
French
Foreign
Minister
Laurent
Fabius
and
German
Federal
Minister
for
Foreign
Affairs
Frank-Walter
Steinmeier
met
her
at
Gono
Bhaban.
Daily
Star,
September
22,
2015.
INDIA
Pakistan
waging
proxy
war
against
India,
says
UHM
Rajnath
Singh:
Noting
that
India's
borders
with
China
and
Pakistan
are
"hyper
sensitive",
Union
Home
Minister
(UHM)
Rajnath
Singh
on
September
26,
blamed
Pakistan
for
waging
a
proxy
war
against
India.
"Pakistan
was
regularly
violating
the
ceasefire
agreement,
however,
our
forces
were
giving
them
a
befitting
reply,"
Singh
said
on
the
sidelines
of
a
function
in
Lucknow
in
Uttar
Pradesh
on
September
26.
He
said
that
security
arrangements
on
Indian
borders
with
Pakistan
and
China
are
reviewed
keeping
the
situation-at-the-moment
in
mind.
Times
of
India,
September
27,
2015.
Need
to
delink
terror
from
religion,
says
PM
Narendra
Modi:
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
emphasized
on
the
need
to
delink
terrorism
from
religion
as
a
weapon
in
the
fight
against
terror.
In
a
meeting
with
King
Abdullah
of
Jordan
on
September
25
on
the
sidelines
of
the
UN
General
Assembly
session,
Modi
discussed
ways
to
prevent
radicalization
of
youth
and
to
counter
extremist
messaging,
External
Affairs
Ministry
spokesman
Vikas
Swarup
said.
"Both
leaders
acknowledged
that
ISIS
[IS,
Islamic
State]
was
one
of
the
greatest
challenges
facing
the
international
community.
The
Prime
Minister
said
that
there
is
a
need
to
delink
terrorism
from
religion,"
Swarup
said.
Times
of
India,
September
26,
2015.
Time
not
right
for
our
pull
out
from
Valley,
says
Army:
On
September
22,
Army
ruled
out
its
withdrawal
from
the
Kashmir
valley,
saying
the
time
is
not
right
and
forces
may
lose
ground
and
gains
they
so
"painstakingly"
made
to
"inimical"
elements.
"The
time
is
not
right
for
us
to
pull
out.
If
we
pull
out
now,
we
may
just
lose
the
ground
and
that
space
may
be
filled
by
elements
which
are
inimical
to
the
civil
society,"
General
Officer
Commanding
(GOC)
of
Srinagar-based
15
corps
Lt
Gen
Satish
Dua
told
reporters
in
Srinagar.
Daily
Excelsior,
September
23,
2015.
India-US
Joint
Declaration
on
Combating
Terrorism
renewed
call
to
Pakistan
to
bring
perpetrators
of
26/11
to
justice:
India
and
the
US
decided
to
step
up
their
counter-terrorism
efforts
in
addition
they
reached
other
key
agreements.
An
India-US
joint
declaration
on
combating
terrorism
issued
at
the
end
of
the
first
India-US
Strategic
and
Commercial
Dialogue
on
September
22
renewed
a
call
to
Pakistan
to
bring
perpetrators
of
26/11
(November
26,
2008)
Mumbai
(Maharashtra)
terror
attacks
to
justice.
Times
of
India
September
23,
2015.
North-East
sees
drop
in
abduction
cases
this
year,
says
UMHA
figures:
According
to
latest
Union
Ministry
of
Home
Affairs
(UMHA)
figures,
kidnappings,
a
staple
insurgent
activity
in
the
North-East,
has
seen
a
significant
decline
this
year,
with
the
worst-affected
state
of
Assam
showing
a
nearly
70
per
cent
drop
in
kidnapping
incidents
even
as
the
recently
banned
Khaplang
faction
of
National
Socialist
Council
of
Nagaland
(NSCN-K)
outfit
resorted
to
maximum
abductions
for
any
outfit
in
2015.
The
figures
show
that
182
kidnappings
have
been
reported
this
year
from
the
seven
northeastern
states
compared
to
250
in
the
same
period
last
year
and
369
in
all
in
2014.
Economic
Times,
September
22,
2015.
NEPAL
Madheshi
front
cadres
block
imports
from
India
at
border
entry
points:
The
imports
of
petroleum
and
other
supplies
from
India
and
third
countries
have
been
lying
at
Indo-Nepal
border
areas
near
Biratnagar
due
to
the
blockade
imposed
by
the
United
Democratic
Madheshi
Front
(UDMF)
on
September
25,
the
second
consecutive
day
of
obstruction
in
the
industrial
hub
of
Nepal.
Similar
blockades
are
being
carried
out
by
the
Madheshi
protestors
at
the
border
areas
on
the
Nepali
side
of
Birgunj,
Janakpur
and
Nepalgunj
as
well.
My Republica,
September
26,
2015.
New
Government
after
October
3,
2015:
With
the
promulgation
of
the
new
Constitution,
the
major
parties
have
now
started
preparations
for
forming
the
new
government
as
per
the
provisions
of
the
new
Constitution.
Prime
Minister
(PM)
Sushil
Koirala
on
September
21,
told
the
meeting
of
the
Nepal
Congress
Central
Working
Committee
that
he
would
tender
resignation
from
the
post
of
the
Prime
Minister
as
soon
as
he
returned
from
New
York.
Koirala
is
leaving
for
the
United
States
(US)
on
September
23,
to
attend
the
70th
United
Nations
General
Assembly
at
New
York
and
will
return
on
October
3.
Himlayan
Times,
September
22,
2015.
Baburam
Bhattarai
quits
party
and
parliament:
Baburam
Bhattarai,
Nepal's
former
Prime
Minister
(PM)
and
top
Unified
Communist
Party
of
Nepal-Maoist
(UCPN-M)
leader
sympathetic
to
Madhesis,
on
September
26,
resigned
as
lawmaker
and
also
quit
the
party
to
form
his
own
political
"force"
amid
differences
with
the
major
Nepalese
political
parties
over
the
new
Constitution.
Bhattarai,
a
veteran
leader
of
the
UCPN-M,
was
the
senior-most
leader
after
party
chief
Pushpa
Kamal
Dahal
aka
Prachanda.
Bhattarai
has
indicated
that
he
would
form
a
new
political
"force"
within
a
couple
of
months.
Times
of
India,
September
26,
2015.
PAKISTAN
Prime
Minister
urges
UN
Secretary
General
for
plebiscite
in
Kashmir:
Prime
Minister
Nawaz
Sharif
on
September
27
called
for
the
implementation
of
United
Nations
(UN)
Security
Council
resolution
on
the
decades-old
Kashmir
dispute,
and
holding
of
plebiscite
to
determine
the
wishes
of
Kashmiri
people.
Nawaz
urged
UN
Secretary
General
Ban
Ki-moon
to
play
a
role
in
defusing
tensions
between
Pakistan
and
India
and
help
end
the
cross-Line
of
Control
(LoC)
violations
for
promoting
peace
in
the
region
when
he
held
talks
with
him
at
UN
Headquarters,
according
to
official
sources.
Daily Times,
September
28,
2015.
LeT
threat
to
world
peace,
says
US
Secretary
of
State
John
Kerry:
The
United
States
(US)
Secretary
of
State
John
Kerry
told
world
leaders
on
September
27
that
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT)
was
one
of
the
extremist
groups
that
were
threatening
world
peace.
"It
would
be
a
complete
understatement
to
say
that
we
meet
at
a
challenging
time.
Extremist
violence
is
a
major
contributor
to
the
suffering
that
we
see
radiating
not
just
out
of
Syria
but
elsewhere
in
the
world,"
he
told
a
global
forum
being
held
on
the
sidelines
of
the
United
Nations
General
Assembly.
The
United
States
is
co-hosting
the
Global
Counter-terrorism
Forum
Ministerial.
Dawn,
September
28,
2015.
Zarb-e-Azb
like
operation
must
also
be
launched
in
Afghanistan,
says
Federal
Minister
of
Interior
Chaudhry
Nisar
Ali
Khan:
Federal
Minister
of
Interior
Chaudhry
Nisar
Ali
Khan
on
September
22
said
the
mastermind
of
the
terrorist
attack
on
the
Pakistan
Air
Force
(PAF)
camp
in
Badaber,
Peshawar,
had
been
traced
to
Afghanistan
and
stressed
that
a
Zarb-e-Azb
like
operation
must
also
be
launched
there.
In
a
statement,
the
minister
said
Pakistan
would
share
all
evidences
with
the
Afghan
leadership.
He
said
the
place
where
terrorists
stayed
had
also
been
identified.
The News,
September
23,
2015.
Taliban
attacks
have
cost
Pakistan
USD
5
billion
in
lost
investment,
says
Finance
Secretary
Waqar
Masood:
Taliban
attacks
have
cost
the
economy
as
much
as
USD
5
billion
a
year
in
lost
investment,
the
Finance
Secretary
Waqar
Masood
said
in
an
interview
in
London
on
September
21,
adding
that
Islamabad
is
keeping
its
options
open
for
another
International
Monetary
Fund
(IMF)
program.
"Our
people
have
suffered
terribly
over
the
last
10-15
years
and
we
have
lost
out
enormously
in
terms
of
economic
opportunities
and
output
because
of
terrorism,"
said
Masood.
Tribune,
September
22,
2015.
SRI
LANKA
Draft
resolution
on
Sri
Lanka
submitted
to
UNHRC:
The
draft
resolution
titled
'Promoting
reconciliation,
accountability
and
human
rights
in
Sri
Lanka'
has
been
submitted
to
the
ongoing
30th
session
of
the
United
Nations
Human
Rights
Council
(UNHRC)
in
Geneva
on
September
24.
Along
with
the
United
States,
the
main
sponsor
of
the
draft
resolution,
the
Former
Yugoslav
Republic
of
Macedonia,
Montenegro,
United
Kingdom
of
Great
Britain
and
Northern
Ireland
has
co-sponsored
the
resolution
A/HRC/30/L.29.
Colombo Page,
September
25,
2015.
Sri
Lanka
will
seek
consultations
of
foreign
judges
and
lawyers
within
legal
framework
allowed
by
Constitution,
says
Prime
Minister
Ranil
Wickremesinghe:
Prime
Minister
Ranil
Wickremesinghe
said
that
Sri
Lanka
will
seek
the
consultations
of
foreign
judges
and
lawyers
for
the
domestic
mechanism
to
probe
the
alleged
rights
violations
during
the
military
conflict
with
the
Liberation
Tigers
of
Tamil
Eelam
(LTTE)
within
the
legal
framework
allowed
by
the
Constitution.
The
PM
said
his
Government
could
only
act
within
the
framework
of
Sri
Lanka's
Constitution
and
it
does
not
allow
foreign
judges
to
operate
in
the
country
but
they
can
assist
the
investigations.
Colombo Page,
September
27,
2015.
The South
Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that
brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on
terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on
counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on
related economic, political, and social issues, in the South
Asian region.
SAIR is a project
of the Institute
for Conflict Management
and the
South
Asia Terrorism Portal.
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