J&K: Stifled Peace,Latehar: The Colour of Fratricide::South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR), Vol. No. 9.42
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SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 9, No. 42, April 25, 2011

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


ASSESSMENT

 

INDIA
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J&K: Stifled Peace
Ajit Kumar Singh
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management

Maulvi Showkat Ahmad Shah (55), president of the Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadith (JAH), was killed by ‘unidentified militants’ triggering an improvised explosive device (IED) at a mosque gate before Friday’s prayer in the Maisuma area, adjacent to Lal Chowk in Srinagar, on April 8, 2011. Militants had earlier fired at his car in 2006 and hurled a grenade at his house in Lal Bazar on outskirts of Srinagar in 2008.

Maulvi Shah was the third prominent cleric to be killed during 22 years of terrorism in the State. Maulvi Mohammad Farooq, the Mirwaiz (chief preacher) of Central Kashmir, was killed in Srinagar on May 21, 1990, and the Mirwaiz of Anantnag, Maulvi Qazi Nisar, was killed on June 20, 1994.

Maulvi Shah, a close aide of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik and Chairman of the moderate faction of the separatist All Party Hurriyat Conference – Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (APHC-M), was equally popular among mainstream politicians. The JAH reflects a puritan Wahabi ideology, and receives financial support from Saudi Arabia. Headquartered in Babershah in downtown Srinagar, with about 1.5 million followers, it is the only religious organisation with a following spread across the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). JAH has 1,200 mosques in the State (814 in Kashmir alone).

Meanwhile, on April 16, 2011, Police arrested three alleged killers – Javaid Ahmad Munshi aka Bill Papa, Nissar Ahmad Khan aka Ishaq and Abdul Gani Dar aka Abdullah Gazalli – associated with a little-known sectarian outfit, Saut-ul-Haq (Voice of the Righteous) and former militants of Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM).

TuM, formed in 1990, is part of the 15-member, Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK)-based United Jihad Council (UJC), and enjoys close links with groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Elaborating on the conspiracy, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) S.M. Sahai noted:

It was an attempt by the radical elements to take control of JAH. When they failed to dislodge him through elections, a conspiracy was hatched to eliminate him in 2010. [He had won three straight three-year terms as the JAH head since 2004] He was perceived as one against sectarianism and helping to defuse sectarian clashes. His work in the education field, especially trying to get a university from the Government, was perceived by them as a compromise with the Government. Also, his proximity with certain separatist leaders was not liked by them.

The TuM militants, it is reported, were unhappy with Maulvi Shah as he was believed to have ‘closed down’ the terror group [TuM], alleged to have had a long association with JAH. Other reports indicate that his denouncement of the stone-pelting campaign in the summer of 2010, citing Quranic references to justify his stand, as well as his engagement with the Centre's interlocutors, made him a target for the extremists. Maulvi Shah was also among the first to demand a fresh enquiry into the killings of separatist leaders by suspected Pakistan-backed terrorist formations.

Jameel-ur-Rehman, ‘general secretary’ of UJC, was reportedly in touch with the conspirators, while a local LeT ‘commander’ is believed to have provided logistical support for the assassination.

Political assassinations are not new to Kashmir. In a written reply to the Legislative Council on March 31, 2011, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah disclosed that, out of 13,215 civilians killed since 1990 (data till February 25, 2011), 698 were politicians. The highest number, 101 political leaders and workers, was killed in 2002. The most prominent political assassinations were:

May 21, 2002: Senior APHC leader Abdul Gani Lone was shot dead by ‘unidentified gunmen’ at a rally to mark the death anniversary of Maulvi Mohammad Farooq at Idgah ground in old Srinagar city.

December 31, 1993: Professor Abdul Ahad Wani was killed by ‘unidentified gunmen’ in Srinagar.

May 21, 1990: Maulvi Mohammad Farooq was killed by ‘unidentified gunmen’ in Srinagar.

Significantly, each of these leaders was killed by ‘unidentified gunmen’, and a conspiracy of silence surrounded the assassinations, while extremists sought to pin the blame on “Indian Forces”. On January 2, 2011, however, the chief spokesman of the separatist APHC, Abdul Ghani Bhat, cut through the shroud of silence and terror that had enveloped the State for over two decades, to declare:

Lone Sahib, Mirwaiz Farooq and Professor Wani were not killed by the Army or the Police. They were targeted by our own people... The story is a long one, but we have to tell the truth. If you want to free the people of Kashmir from sentimentalism bordering on insanity, you have to speak the truth.... Here I am letting it out. The present movement against India was started by us killing our intellectuals... wherever we found an intellectual, we ended up killing him...

On March 8, 2009A, a Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) Court jailed Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘commander’ Mohammad Ayub Dar for life for Maulvi Mohammad Farooq’s murder. The conviction and life sentence were upheld by the Supreme Court on July 21, 2010.

Bhat’s declaration appears to have changed the drift of the discourse in the Valley. Soon after Maulvi Shah’s assassination, despite some sections again blaming “Indian Forces” for the killing, voices were raised accusing local terrorists. Significantly, Mohammad Maqbool Akhrani, zila amir (District President) of the JAH, Anantnag, noted on April 13, 2011, "What are we saying? Either the murder is the work of Indian agencies. Or it is Pakistan. Who works for Pakistan here? It's the Lashkar [LeT] and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. Why can't we just simply state this? Everyone in this room knows that... The killers are within us. They are among us. We should unmask them.”

Civilians have had to bear the brunt of terrorism in J&K. SATP data records a total of 14,612 civilian fatalities in Kashmir since 1989 (out of a total of 43,061 fatalities). Indeed, anyone who opposed, resisted, or even refused compliance to extremist diktats, was targeted. Recently, in a particularly barbaric incident, terrorists dragged two teenaged sisters, Akhtara (18) and Arifa (16), out of their home in Sopore in Baramulla District in the evening of January 31, 2011, and shot them dead. A day later, LeT posters claiming responsibility for the killing declared, “We killed the two girls because their behaviour was improper and they were involved in degraded activities like informing the security agencies.” The LeT also threatened to take action against those who had started raising questions about the murders. Minister of State for Horticulture, Javed Ahmad Dar, later noted, “There have been many such killings in Sopore town. The traumatised people are clueless. Nobody dares to speak up publicly.”

In the most recent incident, unidentified militants shot dead a woman, Hasina Begum (40), a candidate for Panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) elections at Karpora in the Pakherpora area of Charar-e-Sharief in Budgam District. Though there have been other incidents of violence targeting the elections, this is the first political killing in Kashmir related to ongoing Panchayat polls. Despite the violence, a large number of voters are turning in for the 16 phase Panchayat elections held in the entire State after a gap of 45 years. [Elections were held for only 1600 Panchayats out of 2,702 Panchayats in 2001]. According to reports, 76 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the first round of elections; 82 per cent voted in the second phase; and 79 per cent in the third phase. The elections, which began on April 13, will continue till June 18.

In a related development, following an unexpected meeting between the Centre’s interlocutors on J&K and Ittihadul Muslimeen patron and Shia cleric Maulvi Abbas Ansari, on April 21, 2011, the APHC’s moderate faction suspended him. Ansari is the former chairman of Hurriyat (Mirwaiz) and its founding member, while his party Ittihadul Muslimeen is the founding constituent of the Hurriyat (Mirwaiz). His suspension once again confirms the reality that peace initiative, at the present juncture, lack direction and possibilities of success. Confirming the move, the Chairman of the moderate APHC faction, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq reiterated, “We’re not against seeking a resolution of the Kashmir problem through dialogue, but the Hurriyat Conference is of the view that since the interlocutors have the mandate of only making certain recommendation to the Government of India and can’t take decisions on their own, any engagement with them is tantamount to wasting of time.”

Little hope of a proximate resolution in J&K exists, particularly since the only visible initiative relies on a weak and directionless group of the Centre’s interlocutors. Maulvi Shah’s killing demonstrates beyond doubt that, despite continuously declining trends in terrorist violence in the State, the gun retains its veto, and political assassination will continue to target even the most hesitant voices of dissent and opposition to the extremist cause.

INDIA
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Latehar: The Colour of Fratricide
Deepak Kumar Nayak
Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management

Latehar District, which falls under the Palamu Division of Jharkhand State, is one of four Districts in the Division, where a number of Naxalite (Left Wing Extremist) groups are fighting for dominance. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Deputy Inspector General Bhanu Pratap Singh, stationed in the Palamau region, noted that 60 per cent of Naxalite incidents in Jharkhand were reported from Palamau, Latehar, Chatra and Garhwa: “The reason is that many splinter groups are active in the area and they are fighting a battle of supremacy with each other.”

The bodies of two villagers, identified as Harbar Singh and Chetu Singh, executed by a kangaroo court of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, were recovered at Baresand village in the Latehar District of Jharkhand on April 12, 2011. The victims, accused by the Maoists of collecting levy in the name of the Maoists, had earlier been abducted from their homes on April 10.

A day later, on April 13, 2011, two former CPI-Maoist cadres were executed by the Maoists and their bodies dumped near the railway crossing in the Atikheta forest of the Latehar District. Superintendent of Police (SP) Kuldip Diwedi disclosed that the deceased, Nirmal Singh and Birendra Singh Kharwar, had been members of a Maoist ‘firing squad’ till 2008, before parting ways to join the Jharkhand Janmukti Parishad (JJP), a CPI-Maoist splinter group.

These are just the most recent incidents in a Maoist struggle for undisputed dominance in their strongholds in this mineral rich region. After a particularly daring attack on March 4, 2011, in which over 50 Maoist cadres tried unsuccessfully to overrun a Police Base Camp at Amrawadih village under Balumath Police Station, SP Kuldip Diwedi noted, “The Maoists have formed a new guerrilla company called Company-6 and are trying to regain lost ground in the bordering areas of the two districts [Latehar and Chatra], where a splinter group, Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), has gained influence."

Carved out of the old Palamu District, Latehar was created on April 4, 2001, with Palamu to its North, Chatra at its East, Lohardaga and Gumla Districts in the South, Garhwa at its North West, and Surguja, in Chhattisgarh, to its South West. Spread across an area of 4,211.25 square kilometres, of which nearly half (2010.22 square kilometres) is under dense forest, Latehar’s hilly terrain makes it a perfect destination for the creation of a Maoist hub. Terror also reigns supreme in Latehar due to its proximity with other Maoist-hit Districts of Jharkhand, as well as its proximity to Chhattisgarh, the State currently ranked second among those worst afflicted by Left Wing extremism (LWE).

The Maoist terror in Latehar, listed among the 34 worst Naxal-affected Districts by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, is immense. After the hijack of the 627Up Barkakana-Dehri-Mughalsarai (BDM) passenger train on April 22, 2009, a report had noted that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) contingent, which arrived at the Latehar Railway Station to sanitise the railway route at around 11.30 AM, remained there, unwilling to move to the location of the hijacked passenger train. An unidentified RPF trooper had stated, "There is no use entering the train hijack zone as the hijack drama was over. Moreover, it is risky given that the Maoists target people like us who are in uniform." The train had been overpowered by the local villagers and a group of armed Maoists at around 7.30 AM the same day, at Hehegara Railway Station and was ‘released’ at 11.50 AM. The report further noted that Police officers, including the SP, preferred to work from their residences or some location other than their offices, fearing Maoist attacks.

School children did not hoist the national flag on Republic Day (January 26, 2011) following a Maoist threat. Instead, Maoists hoisted black flags and put up posters with anti-Government slogans and threats.

According to data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), a total of 176 persons, including 56 civilians, 50 Security Force (SF) personnel and 70 extremists have been killed in the District since its creation in 2001. Jharkhand State recorded a total of 1,284 fatalities during this period. Though no definite trend in fatalities has been established, the sway of Maoist violence in the District is inescapable. The District recorded the third highest number (29) of Maoist related incidents in 2010, after Ranchi (44) and East Singhbhum (34).

Fatalities in LWE Violence in Latehar District: 2001-2011

Years
Civilians
SFs
LWEs
Total
2001*
6
2
0
8
2002
4
8
1
13
2003
8
4
4
16
2004
3
2
8
13
2005
4
0
8
12
2006
2
2
0
4
2007
6
0
22
28
2008
3
0
3
6
2009
9
27
6
42
2010
6
5
7
18
2011**
5
0
11
16
Total
56
50
70
176
*Data from April 4, 2001, ** Data till April 24, 2011
Source: SATP

Latehar has also recorded 14 major incidents (involving three or more killings) since April 2001. The most prominent among these include: 

July 16, 2010: Five Police personnel were killed and five were injured in a Maoist landmine blast targeting a patrol van carrying Jharkhand Jaguar Force personnel at Kutmu More.

April 16, 2009: Maoists blew up a Border Security Force (BSF) bus ferrying personnel from Ladhup to Arah, killing seven BSF personnel, one helper and the civilian driver of the bus.

April 15, 2009: Maoists triggered a landmine blast at Varnia Ghati in the hilly tracts of Barwadih, blowing up a bus ferrying CRPF personnel. In the resulting exchange of fire with the SFs, two CRPF personnel, a civilian driver and five Maoists were killed.

January 17, 2009: Six Policemen were killed in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists at Do-Pahani village.

October 28, 2007: Five people were abducted from Boda village and killed by Maoists in the nearby forest. They had been accused of supporting the TPC, a breakaway Maoist faction.

May 29, 2007: Jharkhand Liberation Tigers (JLT) cadres shot dead four TPC supporters, identified as Arjun Ganjhu aka Tasala Ganjhu, Jahru Ganjhu, Sukhan Ganjhu and Paras Ganjhu, at Barwa Toli near Salechnawa village under the Balumath Police Station area.

April 9, 2007:  Eight TPC cadres were killed in a clash with 100 Maoist cadres near Bhadgao in the Balumath Police area. One Maoist cadre was also killed and several others were injured in the gun battle.

January 23, 2005: Six Naxalites were killed during an armed clash between members of the CPI-Maoist and the Sangharsh Jan Mukti Morcha (SJMM) in Boda village.

The internal frictions between various rival LWE groups in Latehar are the principal reason for current violence in the District. The various groups engaged in this fratricidal struggle include the Swatantra Jan Sangharsh India Morcha (SJSIM), SJMM, Jharkhand Sangharsh Janmukti Morcha (JSJM), People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), TPC, Jharkhand Prastuti Committee (JPC), JJP, JLT, Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand Simant Committee (CJSC) and Bal-Dasta (Children’s Strike Force), in addition to the CPI-Maoist. Most recently, a 50-member splinter group, Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), was formed on February 6, 2011, with its cadres trained in operating sophisticated weapons. Police sources disclosed that the new outfit had organised a training camp for its members in the jungles bordering Latehar and Lohardaga Districts.

The CRPF has 13 Battalions and two Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) units in the State, but the Force is far from sufficient to contain the troubles. CRPF Inspector-General Alok Raj noted, on April 18, 2011, “While we have strengthened our base, the same has been done by rebels in Chatra, Latehar, Palamau, Khunti and Dumka. So, the need is to raise more Battalions.”  

Earlier, on July 17, 2010, Jharkhand Director General of Police (DGP) Neyaz Ahmed, while admitting to the Maoist menace, declared, "The anti-Maoist operations in Latehar District will be intensified and combing operations are in progress in different areas." There are, however, no significant indicators of such ‘intensified’ campaign on ground though, in one encounter, the SFs killed nine Maoists at the Luhur forest on January 28, 2011.

The reality is that SF capacities in Jharkhand are far from what is required to confront the Maoist threat, and this, rather than incidental lapses on the part of SF personnel, is the principal case of the progressive Maoist dominance since 2007.

Some tentative steps are, however, being initiated by authorities. Locals in Latehar have raised anti-Maoist village defence committees with the help of the Police, to patrol the highway by night and to give protection to vehicles. These Committees, provided with spears, shoes, raincoats, whistles, etc. for patrolling, are hardly a foil for the Maoists, but do cut into their recruitment base, since villagers get some employment and are paid daily wages. Further, in a recruitment drive that ended on March 2011, the SP, Latehar, along with the SPs of neighbouring Garhwa and Palamu Districts has also recruited some 850 Police troopers.

Jharkhand has had a particularly poor record of fighting the Maoists, with efforts constantly undermined by political ambivalence and a lack of effective Police capacities. Unsurprisingly, the extremist consolidation in the State continues apace, and the only significant check on this has been the internecine violence between a multiplicity of Maoist factions. This, however, can only provide cold comfort; inevitably, one or the other factions will come to dominate – most likely the CPI-Maoist. Unless the State is infinitely better prepared than it currently is, to confront that inevitable challenge, Latehar, the wider Palamu region, and Jharkhand, can only sink deeper into a Maoist consolidation.



NEWS BRIEFS

Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia
April 18-24, 2011

 

Civilians

Security Force Personnel

Terrorists/Insurgents

Total

INDIA

  

Jammu & Kashmir

1
1
4
6

Left-wing Extremism

  

Bihar

2
2
0
4

Chhattisgarh

0
0
1
1

Jharkhand

4
0
0
4

Maharashtra

0
1
0
1

Odisha

0
1
1
2

West Bengal

2
0
0
2

Total (INDIA)

9
5
6
20

Nepal

0
0
1
1

PAKISTAN

  

Balochistan

14
3
0
17

FATA

21
2
43
66

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

2
16
20
38

Sindh

30
1
1
32

Total (PAKISTAN)

67
22
64
153
Provisional data compiled from English language media sources.



INDIA


NSCN-IM warns of peace process derailment: The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) on April 21 said that the peace process might be derailed, if the Government of India "forgot in what spirit the peace process was initiated". A Statement issued by NSCN said that the Home Secretary of India, G. K. Pillai "unexpectedly" started standing in the way with strange statement such as, "After a little bit of progress with the NSCN (I-M) from the present stage, we shall start talks with NSCN (K) including State Government fully in picture." Nagland Post , April 22, 2011.

Home Ministry asks intelligence agencies to probe into alleged terror links of suspected money launderer Hasan Ali Khan: The Home Ministry asked intelligence agencies to verify records and see whether the suspected money launderer Hasan Ali Khan or his alleged hawala network had links with any terror outfit or was ever used to transfer money to any them or their fronts. "We have asked both the Intelligence Bureau ( IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing ( RAW) to check details and get back to us as early as possible," an unnamed senior Home Ministry official was quoted saying. Times of India, April 21, 2011.

Crew of detained Danish ship admits of dumping ammunition in the sea: The crew of the Denmark-flagged ship MV Danica Sunrise, which was intercepted and detained by the Coast Guard in Mumbai port on April 17, admitted of having dumped two AK-47 rifles in the Arabian Sea. Ever since the ship was detained on the basis of intelligence inputs that the vessel was carrying a large cache of arms and ammunition, the crew and the guards were being interrogated by a team comprising of various security agencies. The Hindu , April 20, 2011.


NEPAL

'Consensus will be forged within seven days', says UCPN-M chairman Prachanda: The Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda on April 21 said consensus on all contentious issues surrounding the peace process and constitution drafting can be forged within a week. Dahal said, "We will reach to a conclusion very soon to materialise people's desire for peace and change. We are in a sensitive stage of peace and change." eKantipur, April 22, 2011.

Government committed to peace and statute, says Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal: Prime Minister (PM) Jhala Nath Khanal said on April 20 that the Government is fully committed to concluding peace process and drafting the constitution on time. Claiming that the Government has been working to promulgate the new constitution within the deadline of May 28, PM Khanal expressed hope of completing the ongoing peace process before that. Nepal News, April 14, 2011.


PAKISTAN

43 militants and 21 civilians among 66 persons killed during the week in FATA: Security Forces (SFs) killed six militants and neutralised two hideouts in Khadezai area of Orakzai Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on April 23.

A suicide bomber struck the vehicle of an anti-Taliban militia leader killing him and four others in Salarzai area, 65 kilometres northeast of Khar, the main town of Bajaur Agency.

25 persons, including 18 militants and seven civilians, were killed in the US drone attack on a compound owned by a tribesman, Gul Sharif Wazir, in Yazz Khula village of Spinwam area in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) of FATA on April 22.

The bodies of eight abducted passengers who were abducted on March 26 were found in Shahidano Dhand area of lower Kurram Agency, were handed to elders of Turi tribes.

Nine militants and one trooper were killed during a clash and shelling in different areas of Mohmand Agency on April 20. Dawn; Daily Times; The News, Tribune; April 19-25, 2011.

20 militants and 16 SFs among 38 persons killed during the week in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 36 persons were killed in the militants attack on a security checkpost in Maskini area of Lower Dir District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 21. The killed included 16 Security Force personnel and 20 militants. Dawn; Daily Times; The News, Tribune; April 19-25, 2011.

30 civilians among 32 persons killed during the week in Sindh: At least 18 people were killed and 41 sustained injuries in a powerful blast that ripped through Rami Club building near Ghaas Mandi area of Lyari locality in Karachi, the Provincial Capital of Sindh, on April 21..

Unidentified armed militants shot dead three leaders of Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mehaz party at Bakhorri Mori area in Sanghar District.

Four persons, including three Shia men and a Policeman, were killed in incidents of target killings in different parts of Karachi in Sindh on April 20. Three persons, including son-in-law of Allama Hassan Turabi, were shot dead in the jurisdiction of Aziz Bhatti Police Station. Dawn; Daily Times; The News, Tribune; April 19-25, 2011.

We have enough evidence to convict 26/11 masterminds, says Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik: Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik said on April 23 that Pakistani investigators had collected enough evidence against the masterminds of the Mumbai terrorist attacks (November 26, 2008, also known as 26/11) and that he was confident that the courts would convict them. "We have enough evidence and I am quite hopeful that they will be convicted. But if I say some thing much, that means I'm overstepping my position because the matter has to be decided by the court," Malik told CNN-IBN channel in an interview. Times of India, April 24, 2011.

ISI has links with Haqqani network, says Admiral Mike Mullen: Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, in an interview with a private TV channel in Islamabad on April 20 said that Pakistan's external intelligence agency, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), still has ties to militants fighting in Afghanistan. "The ISI has a long-standing relationship with the Haqqani network. That doesn't mean everyone in the ISI, but it's there", Admiral Mullen said. Daily Times , April 21, 2011.

Terrorists' back broken, claims Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani: The Army had broken the back of militants linked to al Qaeda and Taliban and the nation will soon prevail over this menace, the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Kayani said in a speech on April 23 that followed criticism from the United States that it wasn't doing enough to fight militancy. "In war against terrorism, our officers and soldiers have made great sacrifices and have achieved tremendous success," he said. Daily Times, April 24, 2011.

Drone programme in Pakistan won't be abandoned, says US: The US will not abandon its drone programme in Pakistan but how it goes forward is a matter for the US, Pakistani intelligence and military officials to determine, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff a US official said on April 20. "The programme is something that we have said we go ahead on. The question is how. And that process is going to be something that is going to be one of the main tasks that our intel and our military guys have," the official said. Daily Times, April 21, 2011.


SRI LANKA

Government rejects UN panel report: Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has said that the report of the three member Panel appointed by the UN Secretary General cannot be accepted. The Government vehemently rejects it since its standing from the beginning was that it was not prepared to accept any advice or proposals. The Minister emphasized that there is no change in this stand. As such, he added that necessary action would be taken in the future. The Minister said that the External Affairs Ministry has received a report on the Panel appointed by the UN Secretary General. ITN News , April 14, 2011.

LTTE militants had killed innocent Tamils, alleges Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian: In an interview with Asian Tribune on April 20, former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament S. Kanagaratnam, alleged that over 600 innocent Tamil civilians were shot and killed like stray dogs from October 1, 2008 to May 18, 2009 in the Vanni region by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants. He further added that not a single innocent civilian was killed by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in the hostility campaign against the LTTE. Asian Tribune , April 22, 2011.

Reconciliation Commission targets completion of report by May 15: The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) is targeting the completion of its report to be handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by May 15. LLRC Media Spokesperson Lakshman Wickremesinghe told the media that the Commission had commenced preparing the first draft. Colombo Page, April 20, 2011.

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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Editor
Dr. Ajai Sahni


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