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SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 10, No. 20, November 21, 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
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J&K:
Targeting Hawala
Ajit Kumar Singh
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management
While the
higher echelons of power in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)
were consumed by a political debate over the partial removal
of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from some areas
of the State, a more significant development has taken
place which could have dramatic bearing on the residual
militancy in the State. The terror funding mechanism in
the State has been brought under the close scrutiny of
enforcement and intelligence agencies.
In August
2011, the Union Minister of State for Home, Jitendra Singh,
had stated in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament),
“A multi-disciplinary group at the State and central level
has been entrusted with the responsibility of enquiring
into the sources of funding of Kashmiri terrorists.”
Officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) further
indicated, “Special attention was being paid for terror
funding of separatists and terror groups in Kashmir and
the constitution of Combating of Funding of Terrorists
(CFT) is a step in this direction.” Besides this, a Terror
Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) Cell in the National
Investigation Agency (NIA) has also been constituted,
to focus on investigating the flow of money into anti-national
activities.
Meanwhile,
the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 1, 2011,
booked four traders, engaged in business across the Line
of Control (LoC), under the Prevention of Money Laundering
Act (PMLA), in connection with a hawala (illegal
money transfer) racket for the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
The ED had sent one of its senior officers to the Valley
to review hawala cases, and decided to take up
this case which dates back to 2009. Notably, J&K Police
had uncovered this hawala network in 2009, and
had identified traders and businessmen in Punjab and Jammu
who allegedly channeled funds to LeT militants in the
Kashmir Valley for a fee.
This is
the first such case taken up by the ED after cross-LoC
trade was opened on October 21, 2008. Significantly, a
high-level meeting, chaired by Union Home Secretary R.K.
Singh in Srinagar in the evening of October 23, 2011,
reviewed all cases related to the funding of terrorist
and separatist groups in J&K, and agencies were asked
to work in close coordination with the ED for attachment
of properties under PMLA.
Terror
groups have long taken advantage of the absence of legal
banking facilities for trade across the LoC, which is
based on a barter system. “As the cross LoC trade
seems to have improved the relations between the traders
on both sides of the dividing line, the same has been
misused by many by acting as conduits of passing hawala
money into the State, meant for militants and separatist
groups,” the State Government said in the J&K Legislative
Assembly on September 27, 2011. Media reports indicate
that goods worth INR 2.94 billion have been exchanged
on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route since the trade began.
According
to data
furnished by the State Government, 48 persons have been
found involved in misusing the trade across the LoC and
an amount of INR 7.3 million as well as un-cashed cheques
worth INR 100,000, have been recovered from these persons
in a total of 20 cases since January 1, 2009 (data till
July 31, 2011). In the most prominent case, four persons
associated with Hizb-ul-Mujahiddeen (HM),
were arrested in Srinagar along with INR 2.1 million.
A Special Cell unit of the Delhi Police had gone to Srinagar
on January 22, 2011, following information that the money
from Pakistan was being sent to J&K through a hawala
channel via Delhi, for funding of terrorism and secessionists
activities.
The numbers
become more worrisome when data related to other sources
of hawala money are clubbed together with such
transactions in the cross-LoC trade. The State Government
has disclosed that a total of 98 persons were arrested
and an amount of INR 12.3 million was recovered over the
January 2009 – July 2011 period, as part of efforts to
check the pumping of hawala money into J&K.
In addition to Indian currency, the agencies recovered
73,500 Saudi Arabian Riyal, Euro notes of 500 denomination
valuing INR 150,000, 2,000 UK pounds and cheques worth
INR 50,000. While 28 cases were registered and 66 persons
were arrested, with a seizure of INR 7.7 million, in 2009,
the number of cases registered in 2010 stood at 10, with
15 persons arrested and a recovery of INR 998,500. Nine
cases have been registered in 2011 (till July), with 17
arrests and a seizure of INR 3.6 million.
The arrested
persons belonged to both separatist groups and terrorist
outfits. The separatist groups involved included the All
Parties Hurriyat Conference-Geelani (APHC-G), led by Syed
Ali Shah Geelani; Kashmir Mass Movement; the Sajad Gani
Lone led People’s Conference; Shabir Ahmad Shah’s Democratic
Freedom Party (DFP); the Yasin Malik led Jammu Kashmir
Liberation Front (JKLF);
the Islamic Students Front; and Mahz-e-Azadi. The terrorist
organizations involved included HM, Al-Badr, LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad
(JeM),
Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM),
Al-Umer, Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen (JuM),
Al-Burq and Islamic Front.
The most
prominent among Kashmir’s separatist leaders, Geelani,
has been under scrutiny for a long time. The first First
Information Report (FIR) against him, in relation to hawala
transactions, was filed in 1997, alleging that he had
violated the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act (FCRA)
by receiving INR 194 million from Saudi Arabia; and a
separate donation of INR 100 million from the Kashmir
American Council (KAC). These payments, the FIR alleged,
were collected from hawala dealers in New Delhi.
Significantly, Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, the Executive Director
of KAC, has been charged by US authorities for operating
as an agent of a foreign intelligence agency, specifically,
Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
Geelani
was brought under the scanner again following disclosures
made by his close aide, Ghulam Mohammed Bhat, arrested
on January 22, 2011, in connection with an alleged hawala
racket, used to channel money to HM terrorists in the
Kashmir Valley. INR 2.1 million was recovered from Bhatt
in this connection. Bhatt told interrogators that he had
received INR 4 million from his hawala contact
in mid-September 2010. The money was to be delivered to
another contact at Srinagar’s Jhelum Valley College “for
onward delivery to S.A.S. Geelani”. Bhat also claimed
that Geelani received sums of INR 2 million six times
between October 2009 and January 9-10, 2011. Meanwhile,
the NIA, on July 20, 2011, charge sheeted Bhatt, along
with three others (arrested earlier), in connection with
this hawala racket. One of the charge sheeted persons,
Mohd Sidiq Ganai, had allegedly collected over INR 45.7
million during a period of three years, since January
2008, through hawala channels from Pakistan, to
promote terrorist activities in the Valley. The charge
sheet stated that funds through hawala channels
were being sent to Jammu and Kashmir for funding terror
and secessionist acts in the State and Pakistan-based
Maqbool Pandit, a member of HM, and Aizaz Maqbool Bhat,
at present living in Saudi Arabia, were the key accused
behind these operations. Though the NIA has not named
Geelani as an accused in their charge sheet, a "further
probe" is on into his role.
Another
separatist leader, Yasin Malik was arrested by Police
on March 25, 2002, on charges relating to hawala
transfers. He was booked under the Prevention of Terrorism
Ordinance (POTO). The arrest took place following the
March 24, 2002, arrest of Mushtaq Ahmed Dar, a JKLF activist,
by Udhampur Police at Kud, along with a woman, Shazia
Begum, who were carrying USD 100,000 for Yasin Malik.
Dar disclosed that about USD 400,000 had been collected
by Yasin Malik during his month-long stay in America in
October-November 2001, where he had gone for treatment.
The money was collected from businessmen of a particular
community on the pretext of pursuing the ‘Kashmir cause’.
The amount was brought to Nepal from Pakistan by a Kashmir
based separatist, Altaf Qadiri, and handed over to Dar
at a hotel in Kathmandu (Nepal). All the accused were
later released on bail. The case is still going on.
Investigations
over the years have also established that, apart from
Geelani and Malik, other separatist leaders, including
the slain APHC leader Abdul Gani Lone, his two sons, Bilal
Gani Lone and Sajid Gani Lone, and Maulana Abbas Ansari,
have also received hawala money.
Recent
revelations have further exposed the real colour of the
separatist leadership that claims itself as the “true
representatives” of the Kashmiri people. A Delhi based
hawala conduit, Hira Lal, arrested from a hotel
in Srinagar along with Fake Indian Currency Notes on April
15, 2011, told his interrogators that separatists-turned-politicians
have been siphoning off ISI funds meant for terrorist
activities for their personal use. According to sources,
Hira Lal was getting money from the Pakistan High Commission
in New Delhi and was handing over the money to brothers
Bilal and Sajjad Lone. Quoting Hira Lal, an unnamed Police
officer disclosed that the conduit had passed on INR 20
to 30 million to the Lone brothers since the killing of
their father by the LeT in 2001.
Nasir Shafi
Mir, a resident of Budgam District, who ostensibly used
the carpet trade and later a money exchange business in
Dubai for transferring hawala money to Hurriyat
leaders and other separatists in Kashmir, is said to be
the "financial brain" behind funding of separatist
activities in Kashmir. His name cropped up when the Government
was examining the role of KAC’s Gulam Nabi Fai. Fai was
arrested by the FBI on July 19, 2011, on charges of illegally
lobbying the US Government for Pakistan over Kashmir.
Fai was released on bail on July 27, 2011.
Hawala,
the informal transfer of money, has been in existence
for almost three centuries in India and other Asian countries.
In the recent past, Kashmir has emerged a prominent locus
for such transactions, as extremist outfits in countries
grouped under the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC)
send money to terrorist groups in the State. Intelligence
agencies estimate that about 90-95 percent of extremist
funding comes through this channel, with Pakistan and
Saudi Arabia the primary sources of these illegal flows.
Praveen Swami noted in a 1997 article, “Since the 1991
arrests of Ashfaq Lone and Shahabuddin Ghowri in New Delhi
on charges of channelling hawala funds to Kashmir
terrorist groups blew the lid off the Jain brothers' hawala
scandal, it has been known that illegal inflows have been
central to sustaining terrorism in Kashmir.”
Unsurprisingly,
intelligence reports indicate that hawala money
was used to fuel the summer
unrest of 2010, the effort by separatist
formations to supplement rapidly
declining terrorist capabilities in
the State with violent mass mobilisation. After the arrests
of three hawala conduits on January 23, 2011, and
the seizure of INR 2.1 million from them, it was discovered
that this money was being sent to J&K via Delhi by
the ISI for ‘stone-pelters’ – violent street demonstrators
– to sustain unrest in the Valley. During interrogation,
the hawala operatives revealed that “the money
is delivered to several leaders in Jammu & Kashmir
to further give it to local politicians to stage violent
protests and create law and order problems. As per their
disclosure, approximately Rs 20 lakh [INR 2 million] is
sent every month, over one crore [100 million] every year.
This money is given to conduits here in Delhi by the Delhi-based
dealer and then it goes to Jammu & Kashmir.” Officials
said that, during unrest in Valley, between June and September
each year since 2008, stone pelters were hired using money
sent by ISI.
Measures
taken by the Government has resulted in some decline in
the number of hawala cases, which have come down
to 10 in 2010 and nine in 2011, at the time of writing,
as against 28 in 2009. Some of the prominent steps initiated
by the Government include the installation of modern equipment
to monitor the LoC trade and travel points; the issue
of guidelines to enforcement and banking agencies to track
and check suspicious bank accounts; and the establishment
of nakas (barricades) at various places in the
State for effective checking of the movement of contraband,
including illegal funds. The ED has dispatched officials
to the State to fast-track the probe into 18 hawala
related cases and to detect possible violations of PMLA
– perhaps the first time the ED has deputed senior officials
to the Valley for such investigations. The establishment
of CFT and TFFC also suggests a renewed seriousness on
the part of the Centre.
At a time
when terrorism is at its lowest ebb in J&K, an effective
blockade against illicit fund transfers to terrorist and
separatist organizations could have a decisive impact
on the possibility of constructing an enduring peace in
the State. There are clear indications of a measure of
determination to address this issue, and it is imperative
that this should be sustained. In the past, investigations
and prosecutions have been undermined or indefinitely
deferred on extraneous political considerations, and it
can only be hoped that this will not be the case again.
The comprehensive dismantling of the hawala networks
in J&K could inflict a death blow on terrorism and
separatism in J&K.
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The
Nagas: Troubling Fission
Veronica Khangchian
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
Cadres
of the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), a new Naga outfit,
and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah
(NSCN-IM)
were involved in an exchange of fire for almost two hours
at Thanagong village in the Tamenglong District of Manipur
on November 10, 2011. Though both groups separately claimed
to have killed one rival cadre, the Manipur Police failed
to ascertain whether there were any casualties on either
side.
On November
14, ZUF claimed that the clashes erupted when its cadres
went in to protect the helpless Thanagong villagers, who
were allegedly “tortured mercilessly” by NSCN-IM cadres
on November 9, 2011. ZUF also alleged that villagers,
including children, were taken hostage by the NSCN-IM
and tortured at Soubunglong (Leishok) village in the Nungba
Sub-division on November 8. A Press release issued by
the outfit's ‘joint secretary’, Aihong Remroi Inpui, accused
the NSCN-IM of betraying their own people and inciting
bloodshed among the Nagas, contrary to their claim of
being 'freedom fighters’.
Meanwhile,
on November 11, 2011, the NSCN-IM claimed that ZUF was
formed to “challenge the (Naga) nation”. The NSCN–IM declared,
“It is the duty of the Naga Army to check anti-national
elements caused by the ZUF in which certain section of
the people, particularly Suobunglong villagers have been
cooperating and feeding the ZUF. Therefore, the Army Cadres
of the NSCN who were on duty had taught them (villagers)
a lesson not to continue their support to the ZUF.” Further,
the NSCN-IM rejected the ZUF allegations against them
as ‘totally unfounded’.
Earlier,
on October 18, 2011, an almost four hours encounter
took place between NSCN-IM and ZUF cadres in a forest
at Guiteng Chingkao village under Khoupum Police Station
in Tamenglong District of Manipur. The incident happened
when some ZUF cadres intruded into Guiteng village, which
was already occupied by the NSCN-IM. The firing reportedly
began due to ‘miscommunication’ between the cadres on
the spot. However, on October 19, the ZUF alleged that
around 50 cadres of NSCN-IM attacked a ZUF hideout, which
led to the encounter. ZUF warned NSCN-IM, declaring
that the group would be responsible for any ‘unfortunate
incident’ that occurred in future in the ‘Zeliangrong
region’(the Zeliangrong Naga inhabited areas of Assam,
Manipur and Nagaland). The ZUF is against NSCN-IM operations
in the area, which it claims as its own.
The October
18 incident occurred just a few days after six cadres
of the NSCN-IM were killed and five injured during an
ambush by ZUF cadres on October 7 at Leishok village in
the Nungba Sub-division of the same District. About
60 NSCN-IM cadres were travelling to the village in two
trucks, when they came under attack.
Referring
to the October 7 shootout, the ZUF stated, on October
13, that it was a ‘sad incident’ caused by an intrusion
by ‘outsiders’ (NSCN-IM), which had disturbed the peaceful
atmosphere: “It is natural for us to protect our land
and we are doing it with our own volition.” ZUF has argued
that NSCN-IM only imposes its ‘military rule’ in the Zeliangrong
region, while there are many Naga areas that are untouched
by the latter outfit.
ZUF was
created on February 25, 2011, when around 10 NSCN-IM cadres,
who deserted the group along with arms and ammunition,
joined up with some National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang
(NSCN-K)
cadres. The outfit also has an armed wing, the Zeliangrong
Tiger Force (ZTF). Jenchui Kamei is the 'commander-in-chief’
of ZUF; Aihong Remroi Inpui, its 'joint secretary' (or
‘secretary in-charge’); Hensin Kamson, its 'finance secretary';
and Nickson Thoitak, its ‘deputy commander-in-chief’.
ZUF claims
that its primary objective is to protect the interests
of the Zeliangrong tribe, with the slogan "Zeliangrong
Ringtelo" – ‘Long live the Zeliangrong people’. The
'chairman' of the outfit, Kamson thus pledged, "We
will defend the land and resources of the Zeliangrong
people, our culture, our historical values, traditional
and customary habitats of the Zeliangrong community."
He stated, further, that ZUF would strive to protect the
interests of other minority groups and tribes in the region.
Claiming that ZUF's jurisdiction falls over the 'Zeliangrong
Naga' inhabited areas of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland,
he declared, "ZUF shall strive to maintain good relations
with other revolutionary movements in the north eastern
states."
Furious
with the formation of the ZUF, a joint meeting of NSCN-IM,
NSCN-K and the Naga National Council (NNC) was reportedly
held on February 26, 2011, at the Atinga village in Khoupum
Valley in the Tamenglong District. Later, NSCN-IM served
notice on the ZUF to surrender to the former by March
10, 2011, or face ‘strong resistance’. However, NSCN-IM
chose to ignore its own March 10 surrender deadline and
began ‘operations’ against ZUF on March 5, 2011. Poule
Nkoume, a cadre of the outfit’s armed wing, ZTF, was killed
in a clash with NSCN-IM cadres near Khoupum Khunou village
in Tamenglong District on that day.
In June
2011, ZUF shot at and injured an NSCN-IM cadre, Poushindai
Gonmei, as a ‘last warning’ for his ‘crime’. On June 9,
ZUF claimed responsibility for the act, arguing that Gonmei
was involved in the March 5 shootout in which Nkoume was
killed.
The formation
of the ZUF and its subsequent clashes with NSCN-IM have
been opposed by various Naga civil groups. On October
11, dismayed by the October 7 ambush on NSCN-IM militants
by ZUF, United Naga Council (UNC), the apex Naga body
in Manipur, appealed to different Naga militant groups
to refrain from fratricidal acts. Further, lamenting the
March 5 factional clash between the ZUF and NSCN-IM, the
Zeliangrong Baudi (ZB), the apex organization of
the Zeliangrong people of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland
issued an appeal for peace, non-violence and restraint
‘from all concerned’, on March 6. ZB president
Raitu Chawang underlined the need to work unitedly and
in a selfless manner to strengthen the ongoing Indo-Naga
peace process and Naga reconciliation under the aegis
of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR). He said that
ZB would not encourage the formation of any new outfit/
organization/ faction at this critical juncture of the
Naga peace process, in the larger interests of the ‘Naga
nation’; adding further that ZB and the Zeliangrong people
would render service to bridge the gap among various factions
of Naga underground outfits.
Nevertheless,
on March 9, ZUF harshly condemned the NSCN-IM, declaring
that the former’s revolutionary spirit could not be dampened
by simply trying to overpower the outfit. “There has not
been any fresh bloodbath amongst the Nagas for a long
time. ZUF has since [March 5] been confined in their camp
at Sinai… But the NSCN-IM has disturbed the peace by attacking
and ambushing our camp.”
A further
division took place in the NSCN-K on June 7, when a group
of top leaders led by Khole Konyak formed a new group
by expelling Khaplang. In a war of words, the NSCN-K on
September 2, said Khole and Kitovi Zhimomi (leaders of
the new faction after the NSCN-K split) had become ‘prisoners
of the NSCN-IM’. Earlier on July 10, the Khole Konyak
and Kitovi Zhimomi faction of NSCN had described S.S.
Khaplang as a Burmese national and asked him not to interfere
in Naga affairs.
Though,
leaders of three Naga factions – Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng
Muivah of NSCN-IM; 'General' Khole Konyak and N. Kitovi
Zhimomi of the newly formed NSCN-Khole-Kitovi; and 'Brigadier'
S. Singnya and Zhopra Vero of NNC – have resolved “in
principal” to work towards the formation of one “Naga
National Government” in order to better solve Naga political
issues, the proliferation of new Naga groups and their
escalating rivalry complicates the peace process.
At a time
when the Union Government has asked Naga rebel leaders
to formulate a “higher working system” and commit to unite
in order to reach an agreement for a permanent solution,
the clashes between the newly formed ZUF and NSCN-IM,
the developing rivalry between the NSCN-K and its breakaway
NSCN-Khole-Kitovi, the age-old rivalry
between the NSCN-K and NSCN-IM [since April 30, 1988],
undermines the entire peace process and marginalizes the
FNR, which is spearheading the reconciliation process
among Naga factions. Evidently, the Naga peace talks,
which began in 1997, are running into rough weather again,
and peace, conspicuously, remains a distant dream.
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Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in
South Asia
November 14-20, 2011
|
Civilians
|
Security
Force Personnel
|
Terrorists/Insurgents
|
Total
|
BANGLADESH
|
|
Left-wing Extremist
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
INDIA
|
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
Jammu and Kashmir
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
Manipur
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
Nagaland
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Left-wing
Extremism
|
|
Chhattisgarh
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
Jharkhand
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
Odisha
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
West Bengal
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
5
|
Total (INDIA)
|
7
|
4
|
9
|
20
|
PAKISTAN
|
|
Balochistan
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
5
|
FATA
|
9
|
7
|
163
|
179
|
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
Sindh
|
4
|
3
|
7
|
14
|
Total (PAKISTAN)
|
17
|
12
|
172
|
201
|
Provisional
data compiled from English language media sources.
|
BANGLADESH
ULFA chief
Paresh Barua and 10 others indicted in arms haul case:
A Bangladeshi court on November 15 indicted chief of Anti
Talk Faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-ATF)
Paresh Barua and 10 others, including former Junior Home
Minister Lutfozzaman Babar, Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leader
Matiur Rahman Nizami and former top bosses of the Bangladesh's
intelligence agencies, in the country's biggest weapons
smuggling case when 10-truck loads of arms for ULFA were
seized on April 2, 2004. The hearing (of the main trial)
will start on November 29, 2011. Times
of India, November 16, 2011.
ICT accepts
War Crime charges against BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury:
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) took into cognizance
the War Crimes (WCs) charges against Bangladesh Nationalist
Party (BNP) leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury. The three-member
tribunal headed by Justice Nizamul Huq asked authorities
concerned to produce Salauddin before it on November 24
to pass a further directive. Daily
Star, November 18, 2011.
INDIA
GNLA is
handled by ISI, says Director General of Meghalaya Police:
Director General of Police N Ramachandran on November 17
said that the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) is handled
by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Ramachandran
said, "We have information that the money collected through
extortion is siphoned off by the ISI through the GNLA for
purchase of arms and it is a well-known fact that the ISI
is in touch with various insurgent outfits of the North
East to foment trouble in the region". Nagaland
Post, November 18, 2011.
Supreme
Court partially lifts ban on SPOs for anti-Naxal operations:
Supreme Court lifted its July 5 ban on central funding of
anti-Naxal [Left-Wing Extremism] and anti-insurgency operations
through Special Police Officers (SPOs) in all States except
Chhattisgarh. The court on July 5 had clamped a complete
ban on central funding, which accounted for a major chunk
of the budget for anti-Naxalite and anti-insurgency operations
in many states on a petition filed by Nandini Sundar alleging
illegal recruitment of tribal youths as SPOs in Chhattisgarh
and large-scale illegalities committed by them.
Times of India,
November 19, 2011.
No move
to grant 'supra state body' status to Nagas, says Union
Government: The Centre informed Assam, Manipur and Arunachal
Pradesh that there was no move to grant a 'supra state body'
status to Nagas settled across the North-East and the negotiators,
who have been talking to the National Socialist Council
of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), had never promised the
outfit any such arrangement that may have severe inter-state
ramifications. The 'clarification' comes in response to
the objection from all the three States that sought the
Union home ministry's views over certain reports on the
purported 'move'.
Times of India,
November 20, 2011.
West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requests interlocutors to
continue parleys with the Maoists: Six Government-appointed
interlocutors for talks with the Communist Party of India-Maoist
(CPI-Maoist) in Jungle Mahal, who had wanted to be relieved
of their responsibilities, were requested to continue their
parleys by Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee. "The chief
minister has requested us to continue the peace process
and we have accepted it," Sujato Bhadra, who heads the team
of interlocutors, told reporters after a meeting with the
CM. Times
of India, November 20, 2011.
Central
Government to induct 7,000 more troopers in Maoist affected
areas: The Centre has sanctioned seven Battalions of
'specialized' force, who will execute basic infrastructure
projects, including construction of roads, under their protection,
in Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) infested
States. States will soon start the process of raising the
'force'. The new force - called Specialized India Reserve
Battalions (SIRBs) - will have two components. While one
unit will have engineers and technical staff, another will
consist of security personnel.
Times of India,
November 18, 2011.
Naxals
biggest violators of human rights, says Union Home Minister
P. Chidambaram: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram who
was on a tour of Chhattisgarh to review the Maoist situation
there called the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist)
the "biggest violators of human rights". Chidambaram said
that anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh seemed to be
losing momentum though incidents of Maoist violence have
come down. DNA
India, November 16, 2011.
NEPAL
Regrouping
process starts in PLA cantonments: The regrouping of
the members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) started
in three of the seven main cantonment sites (MCS), located
in Nawalparasi, Chitwan and Kailali Districts. In the four
other cantonments, the process started oon November 19.
Nepal
News, November 19, 2011.
PAKISTAN
163 militants
and nine civilians among 179 persons killed during the week
in FATA: At least 10 militants were killed and four
injured during an operation in Orakzai Agency Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on November 20. In addition,
six dead bodies of Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) militants were found
in the Bara tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber Agency..
At least
10 militants were killed and several others injured as helicopter
gunships pounded hideouts of militants for hours on November
19 in Adokhel, Mir Kalamkhel, Jabba, Sama Bazaar and Mamozai
areas of Upper Kurram Agency.
At least
eight militants and a Policeman were killed in clashes between
Security Forces (SFs) and militants in Wacha Wana of Orakzai
Agency on November 18. In addition, SFs killed a militant
and injured another during a clash in Spinwam area of North
Waziristan Agency (NWA).
22 militants
were killed and 10 others injured during the fighting with
SFs in Ghaljo and Sheena Warai areas of Upper tehsil
in Orakzai Agency of on November 17. Also, nine militants
were killed during clashes with SF personnel in Amlok village
in Central tehsil of Kurram Agency. Further, US drones
fired four missiles at a home in the Razmak area of NWA,
killing eight alleged militants.
One Army
major, Major Sikandar, and 20 militants were killed during
a clash when about 60 militants attacked the Marazan check
post in the central Kurram Agency on November 16. Separately,
five US drones fired up to 10 missiles into a sprawling
compound in the Baber Ghar area of South Waziristan Agency
(SWA), killing 18 militants. Also, nine militants were reportedly
killed in Koranchi and Dapar Parari areas of Upper tehsil
in Orakzai Agency. Six tribesmen were killed and two others
sustained injuries when a vehicle ran over a roadside landmine
in Spori area of Khyber Agency.
At least
28 militants were killed and 12 others injured during clashes
with SFs in the Dabori area of Orakzai Agency on November
15. In addition, a drone strike drone strike targeting a
house killed seven people in Miranshah Bazaar of NWA. Further,
five Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were killed and
six others injured when militants first attacked a check-post
and later an FC convoy in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency.
SFs killed three militants and injured four who intruded
into Mohmand Agency from Afghanistan overnight. Dawn;
Daily
Times; The
News; Tribune,
November 14-20, 2011.
TTP Chief
Hakimullah Mehsud warns of attacks in Pakistan: Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) Chief Hakimullah Mehsud on November 14 warned
that his fighters were planning attacks against the Government
and the military to wrest control of areas that they had
lost in the country's northwest. In an Eid message posted
on the TTP website in English, Urdu, Pashto and Arabic,
Mehsud claimed his fighters had withdrawn from certain areas
as part of a "war strategy" and were planning attacks to
regain areas they had lost control of in Swat, Malakand
and the tribal areas. Indian
Express, November 16, 2011.
Federal
Minister for Interior Rehman Malik urges TTP to surrender
and work for the future of children: Federal Minister
for Interior Rehman Malik on November 19 advised Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) to furnish the children with pen and book,
instead of preparing them for suicide attacks. He asked
them to surrender by disarming themselves and refrain from
playing into the hands of the enemy. Dawn,
November 20, 2011.
US working
to contain LeT in South Asia: The United States is working
to contain Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in South Asia, a top US
commander, Admiral Robert F. Willard said. "We find ourselves
working with partners in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and
Maldives to build their capacities to deal with this organization
independently," Admiral Robert F. Willard told reporters
attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference in Hawaii.
Deccan
Chronicle, November 16, 2011.
SRI LANKA
Former
Army commander Sarath Fonseka sentenced to three years of
imprisonment: A three-member trial-at-bar of the Colombo
High Court that heard the controversial 'White Flag' case
against the former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka on November
18 found him guilty of the charges and sentenced to 3 years
in prison along with a fine of LKR 5000 imposed upon him.
The former Army Commander was accused of three counts including
inciting violence. Colombo
Page, November 19, 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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