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12/19/2007: "Unification aimed to end bloodshed, says ‘NSCN’ The Morung Express"

Unification aimed to end bloodshed, says ‘NSCN’ The Morung Express

Dimapur, December 18 (MExN): Pointing out that various approaches to end bloodshed under the emblem of ‘Nagaland for Christ’ in the spirit of ‘forgive and forget’ has failed due to one pretext or the other, the NSCN, Unification group, has stated that Nagas ‘obstinacy’ has ruled out any ‘unification point’ and questioned whether Nagas could afford “to continue fratricidal killing and remain in revolutionary turmoil without an end”. Expressing its stand that “everything should have an ending”, a press note issued by its “Publicity Cell, Unification Camp,” Vihokhu stated that Nagas should also unite in some way or the other to end the bloody feud.
The NSCN (Unification) stated that Nagas have suffered enough for decades due to their inability to ‘forgive and forget’ and to embrace each other and pointed out that it was “high time to embark towards amalgamation of all Nagas in which ever manner or opportunity”. “Our inflexible philosophies or principles should not lead us to further disintegration and self defeat”, it stated adding that further bloodsheds should not be “endowed to future generations anymore”. It called for allowing ‘conscience and wisdom’ to guide the Nagas to avert further self-annihilation. It urged that Nagas should march ahead with the slogan of peace and reconciliation and salvage “our freedom from alien dominance”.
On the “ongoing Naga people’s unification process”, the NSCN (U) stated that “varied views and opinions” had been expressed, some “constructive and supportive” and others remained “skeptical and negatively inclined”. Affirming the recent peace initiative, initially undertaken by the Western Sumi Hoho, the NSCN (U) stated that this was as a result of the clarion call given by the Nagaland GBs and DBs Joint Forum and that it was supported by the Naga Hoho and various civil societies, NGOs and peace loving ‘Naga national workers from different camps.’
It however regretted that the ongoing unification process had been misconstrued on tribal lines by certain section but that on the contrary, the unification move “began with the objective to end fratricidal killings amongst the Nagas encompassing the entire Naga-inhabited country”. “By disseminating distrusts, doubts or suspicions the Naga peoples should not be kept at the altar of fratricides and division”, it stated pointing out that without unity, solution to the protracted Indo-Naga and Burma-Naga political imbroglio will remain far-fetched.
While pointing out that the Naga people’s aspirations remains that of a ‘common goal’, it regretted that “skepticism and distrust has floundered” and that the Naga people’s political movement has been bogged down in the quagmire of divisions, isms and suspicions, thus inflicting deep wounds hitherto”. The NSCN Unification Camp stated that this ‘affliction’ has taken its toll thereby “relegating the Nagas political aspiration and deviating focus towards realistic inclinations”. Pointing out that various civil societies, NGOs, Churches, leaders have sacrificed their tireless efforts to unite different groups, it stated that “killing has been condemned and denounced through out the Naga tribal regions”.
Does the country need another militant outfit? Written by Palash

*Today, if Adivasis are taking up arms, it is the government that isresponsible for it. If media reports about the involvement of an Adivasi outfit in the December13 bomb blast of Rajdhani Express is true, it spells bad news for the state as well as the Adivasis of Assam and other places where Jharkhandi tribes exist. It will add another undesirable chapter to militancy in this country.
Today, if Adivasis have resorted to taking up arms it is because they havebeen betrayed by successive governments of Assam. Ever since the first batch of adivasis was brought to Assam during the British rule the community has been an exploited and neglected lot.
One can understand the pre-independence exploitation and neglect by the colonial masters, but how can one excuse the continual exploitation and neglect of a community that has contributed so much for the economic prosperity of Assam, after independence. Today, the adivasis form the lowest strata of Assamese society.
Ethnic affinity knows no boundaries and that has been amply demonstrated umpteen number of times in the past. The very recent one being the sharp reaction of Tamils to the tough handling of Tamil demonstrators in Malaysia by the local authorities. In a country like India where political boundaries were drawn arbitrarily rendering people of one ethnicity divided between several states, the affinity is even stronger. Therefore, this Adivasi miltant outfit's arrival, which was much publicized by the local media, can
potentially distort peace in all the states where Adivasis exist.
Already, this nation has bled enough. Do we need another militant outfit to inflict wounds at this great country of ancient people and cultures?
It is imperative for the governments in Assam and the Centre to recognize the danger and concede the justified demand of Adivasis. While it is true that the term Adivasi encapsulates within itself a conglomeration of Jharkhandi tribes, the fact is that the Adivasi community of Jharkhandi descent is essentially one ethnic block and shares a common dialect 'Sadri' though there may be minor variations in their culture. It should also be noted that though the state of Jharkhand was created recently, the Jharkhand movement itself dates back to the pre-independence era.
Some of them who are opposing the grant of ST status for Adivasis on the premise that it "would adversely affect the status of the state's indigenous people and would contribute towards further deterioration of their socio-political and economic condition", seem to go by the premise that the "well being of a community is only possible by domination of another". Such flawed logic is untenable. Also, perhaps, the indiginity clause itself needs some reconsideration.
On the one hand these opponents talk about integration of the Adivasis with the Assamese society while on the other they want to deny them their basic citizenship rights. Ironically, they refer to the Adivasis, quite
ignominiously, as Tea Tribes but they do not want the government to grant them Scheduled Tribe status.
If the governments decide not to grant ST status with full citizenship rights to the Adivasis of Assam, it would be akin to propagating apartheid rule, something that has almost vanished from the face of this earth, but is so reminiscent of the obnoxious colonial past. It would be an anachronism in an age when migrant people of Indian origin have grown to the level of heads of state in several countries.
Manoj Tirkey
*My sincere apologies if I have hurt anybody's sentiments unintentionally. Please pass it on to all Jharkhandi groups and other adivasi friends. * Shriprakash Jharkhand Forum A Global Network of Jharkhand
Dear Friends

Please extend solidarity with those fighting exploitation of Telangana and violation of fundamental rights
Condemn illegal arrest of media person of Telangana movement and widely circulate the appeal to all friends to protect freedom of expression In solidarity Bharath Bhushan
FGN leader refutes allegation Newmai News Network
Imphal | While strongly refuting to the allegation hurled against one Pingkiu of Langpram (Nheng) by Captain Pourang of the FGN/NNC appeared in newspapers in the December 17 editions, the former has today clarified that the allegations were totally false.
Pingkiu said that his name is not Joyson as alleged by Captain Pourang of the FGN/NNC. Pingkiu further clarified that he was not involved in any extortion activity, intimidation to the public and also did not carry out extortion spree along the national highways as alleged by Captain Pourang.
Expressing profound resentment over the manner Captain Pourang had tarnished his prestige; Pingkiu said that the allegation put forth in the press by the former was unfounded but an attempt to assassination his character.
Pingkiu also said that no proof or evidence could be furnished to support that he had been extorting or intimidating to the public.
Pingkiu then put the record straight that he had at any point of time never misused the name of FGN/NNC as alleged by Captain Pourang.
Urging to be more mature in dealing things, Pingkiu stated that unnecessary and unfounded allegations hurled against anyone from any quarter will not prove fruitful in the cause of the Naga nation.
Congress cries foul over Nagaland trust vote, MLAs meet Prez Zee News
New Delhi, Dec 18: Crying foul over the defeat of the no confidence motion against the Neiphu Rio government, Congress-led Nagaland progressive alliance on Tuesday claimed majority in the state assembly and paraded 30 MLAs before President Pratibha Patil.

AICC general secretary Margaret Alva favoured dissolution of the assembly in Nagaland where elections are due in February. She said the MLAs would not leave the capital till the Centre takes any action. The delegation of legislators from the northeastern state, led by leader of opposition I Imkong met Patil and demanded immediate dismissal of the Rio government claiming that its existence was "unconstituional".

"We demanded that the illegal Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government be dismissed," Imkong told reporters here. The comments came after the ruling DAN survived a no confidence motion moved by opposition parties in the assembly on December 13.

The Congress along with dissident members of the Nagaland People's Front (NPF), some of whom were ministers in the Rio government, have formed the NPA. The NPA claims that the DAN have lost majority in the state assembly following defection of nine NPF MLAs. Nagaland speaker had ruled the votes of nine NPF MLAs invalid citing defiance of party whip. Alva contended that the anti-defection law came into force only after votes were cast. Alva said Nagaland governor has sent two "very strong" reports to the centre and the cabinet may take up the matter at its next meeting.
Nagaland MLAs seek dismissal of Rio government Delegation, including 16 Congress MLAs, meets President Special Correspondent The Hindu
NEW DELHI: Thirty legislators from Nagaland met President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday evening to press for the dismissal of the Neiphiu Rio government in the State as it had lost its majority on the floor of the State Assembly.
The delegation included 16 MLAs from the Congress, nine members who crossed over from the ruling side when the motion of no-confidence against the Rio government was put to vote, two from the Janata Dal (United) and three Independents.
Though, according to the Leader of the Opposition in the Nagaland Assembly, I. Imkong, the total number of MLAs who voted against the Rio government was 31, one legislator — a Congressman — could not come to Delhi because of personal reasons.
While at first the 31 MLAs staked claim to form a government, Congress in-charge of Nagaland, Margaret Alva, said since elections were due in the State early next year, the legislators had come around to accepting President’s Rule as an alternative.
Briefing mediapersons ahead of the meeting with the President, Mr. Imkong said the Rio government had been voted out on December 13. However, he said, the Speaker refused to acknowledge the vote though 31 MLAs in a House with an effective strength of 55 had voted against the government.
“The Speaker refused to acknowledge the vote of the three Independent MLAs — who where among the legislators who moved the no confidence motion — and the nine MLAs who cross-voted. We demanded a fresh count but he refused. Immediately afterwards, all 31 MLAs went to the Raj Bhavan to inform the Governor that they had voted out the Rio government and stake claim,” Mr. Imkong said.
Meet Home Minister Pointing out that seven days had passed since the Rio government had lost its majority, Mr Imkong said the MLAs decided to come to Delhi to step up pressure on the Centre to take action against an unconstitutional regime. On Monday, they met Home Minister Shivraj Patil — who has already received a report from Governor K. Sankaranarayanan — and have sought appointments with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. During the day, they also met Ms. Alva and complained to her about the delay in action against the minority government .
Political crisis continues in Nagaland Our Spl Correspondent Assam Tribune
NEW DELHI, Dec 18 – Political crisis in Nagaland showed no sign of waning, even as newly christened Nagaland Progressive Alliance (NPA) paraded its MLAs before the Centre.

With the blessings of the Congress Party, the NPA has exerted pressure on the UPA Government to dismiss Neiphiu Rio Government. The crisis has come to a boil and a delegation of the NPA met Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil here yesterday to immediately act and dismiss the DAN Government.

The delegation led by its leader I Imkong described the Nagaland Assembly Speaker’s decision as ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘undemocratic’ act taken with malafide intention. The NPA is planning to meet AICC president, Sonia Gandhi.

Not one to be out-maneuvered, the Nagaland Chief Minister has also rushed to the capital and is meeting Central Ministers to persuade them to save his government. Rio called on NCP leader, PA Sangma last evening. Today he called on Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, besides BJP president Rajnath Singh.

While the Central Government is yet to make up its mind, the dissident MLAs met the President this evening and paraded 16 of the 17 MLAs before her to establish that Rio Government lost majority in the House of 55.

The Speaker has already disqualified seven MLAs. The Opposition MLAs claimed that Rio enjoys support of only 23 MLAs, while their effective strength is 31.

Talking to newsmen at the Congress head office, Imkong, who is also the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, said that they want the Centre to dismiss the Rio Government and invite the Congress to form the next government.

Nagaland significantly is scheduled to go to poll in February next year. However, Imkong said election was not the issue but constitutional propriety is.
Ex-rebel spills Dhaka beans: by E.M. JOSE Tangkhul Com
Shillong,: The surrendered chairman of a separatist group has revealed that he lived in Dhaka for several years, possibly the first time a militant leader has publicly contested Bangladesh’s claim that it does not host rebels. Julius Dorphang, the head of a group fighting for over a decade for an independent nation Khasiland carved out of Meghalaya, told The Telegraph in an exclusive interview that top leaders of many Northeast militant groups lived in Dhaka.
“It is true that for better communication with other militant groups and also with others, we, the top leaders, used to stay in Dhaka,” he said at the Mawiong rehabilitation camp, 7km from Shillong.
Dorphang, 44, who headed the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) for several years, surrendered on July 23 after what he describes as ideological differences with his colleagues.
He gave the name of one apartment building where he had lived — Banani — “in Dhaka, close to the airport”. Meghalaya police have cross-checked that there is a building by this name.
“However, we used to change places every now and then. Maybe six months in one place and another six months somewhere else,” he said. Dorphang did not identify any other militant leader who lived in Dhaka. “We used to see each other either in hotels or other rented places.”
But he did say that like the HNLC, the NSCN(I-M) and the National Liberation Front of Tripura have camps in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. “I came to know that the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) had to disband a camp because of a misunderstanding with the locals,” he said. “We had relations with NSCN and other top militant groups. But we did not have any connection with the Ulfa.”
Although Northeast militants have spoken about acquiring training in Bangladesh at surrender ceremonies, Dorphang is the first top leader to say he lived there. “Why should I hide it? It is a fact,” he said. Ulfa’s Paresh Barua and Arabinda Rajkhowa, NDFB’s Ranjan Daimary, All Tripura Tiger Force’s Ranjit Debbarma and National Liberation Front of Tripura’s Biswamohan Debbarma are said to be holed up in Bangladesh.
Other top leaders of Dorphang’s own group, HNLC, are also there.
Bangladesh officially denies the presence of Indian militants or their camps on its soil. But privately, it has been making positive gestures to India on several issues, including fugitive insurgents, ever since the military-backed regime took over in Dhaka.
Declaration of Youth and Students in the Asia-Pacific Region on Education and Employment
Approved by all 30 participants of the Regional Youth Camp: You Act on Education and Employment held in Dhulikhel, Nepal on December 12-15, 2007
December 15, 2007

We, the young people from the Asia-Pacific region, gathering in solidarity with one another during the four-day (December 12-15) You Act on Education and Employment Youth Camp organized by the Asian Students Association (ASA) and host by All Nepal National Free Students' Union (ANNFSU) in Dhulikhel, Nepal recognize the impacts of globalization and neo-liberalism on the education and employment of the youth and students in our region.

We recognize the impacts of the social and political crisis being experienced by our countries that have aggravated the condition of the youth and students. These include the fascism and repression being experienced by the peoples of Burma, Malaysia and Pakistan from their respective countries, and the state of undeclared Martial Law in the Philippines and militarization of the Northeast region, India. We know that minorities and oppressed nationalities are experiencing discrimination in their countries from their governments. We demand that the national emergency be withdrawn with all democratic rights returned to the people of Bangladesh as well as a transparent and credible election to be held to transfer the power to a democratically-elected government. We strongly condemn the Malaysian government for its repressive crackdown on the democratic movement and the minorities struggling for their rights and freedoms.

We also have expectations on the government of Nepal to respect the demands of the people after the successful April Revolution which has led in the successful overthrow of their kingship and is in the process of nation-building and unifying their people for a future Democratic and Federal Republic of Nepal through the process of Constitution Assembly Election. We also demand that Burma saffron revolution led by Buddhist monks, students and people, democratization should be ensure through genuine dialogue. We demand that the suspended judiciary of Pakistan shall be restored and a free, fair and transparent election should be held under their supervision.
As we realize the political stability is vital in ensuring education and employment rights, we are strongly against the usage by the state of mechanism to crackdown on the youth and people movement.

On Education We have identified commercialization and privatization, both of which are dictates of capitalist powers and the trend of neo-liberal globalization as a major commonality and trend in our countries. Both of these have raised issues of accessibility and quality of education especially for the underprivileged and the poor, making education a privilege to be enjoyed only by the few and the powerful.

In most countries, more and more students are dropping out of school or are unable to enter schools because of the rising cost of education. Our governments are reducing the budget and subsidy of our schools leading to a loss of necessary facilities and infrastructures such as classrooms, textbooks, teachers for quality education. These necessary funds are instead being transferred to military funds which are being used to suppress the people.

The lack of state subsidy on education and the manipulation by military governments and religious fundamentalists of curriculums have also caused a problem in the quality of education. Our schools are being used to train docile and semi-skilled workers for foreign markets or to become submissive to the government instead of being critical thinkers and nationalists.
Gender and racial discrimination are prevalent in our schools. Women are neglected in schools. Indigenous youth are refused their right to be educated in their own language.

Academic freedom is being suppressed in our schools and universities. These include the right to establish and run an independent student council/union and student publication, the rights to organize, assemble, hold protest rallies and speak against the injustices that we see in our land. Besides, we believe that the “freedoms to teach, research, publish and to speak extra-murally” are the basics of academic freedom and should never be violated.

On Employment We, too, face great problems with regards to our right to decent employment. In most countries, there is a great lack of employment opportunities and so our graduates and professionals are being forced to work in another land. As stated, our schools, universities and institutions are used to produce labor according to the demands of foreign nations and multinational corporations.
Wages and salaries remain low and barely enough for the survival of families for their daily livelihood. In our countries, the increase in the minimum wage, if there is any, fails in comparison to our country’s inflation rate and the rising cost of living.

Job security is also a major problem that we face. As imposed by the World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Economic Forum and Asian Development Bank, contractualization has become a matter of policy for employers, be it the government, private sector or multinational corporations.
The predominance of the feudal mode of production in our countries causes underemployment. Many people are being hired to jobs lower than their qualifications. University degree holders become mere clerks or service men. It has also forced our professionals to work in the bubble economy of Business Process Outsourcing such as call center jobs which one day shall implode leaving thousands upon thousands jobless.
Forced labor migration is a growing problem caused by unemployment. Instead of ensuring employment by creating new jobs that would hire our people, our governments encourage the export of cheap-labor as a source of foreign remittances to boost our nation’s sinking economies rather than use these productive labor force for the benefit our people and our nation.

There is a lack of necessary agreements between our governments and those of receiving countries, and as a result, migrant workers face great hardships in foreign nations and do not receive protection and support from our governments. Their jobs are usually characterized by three Ds (dirty, dangerous and difficult). They face discrimination, extreme exploitation, physical and mental abuse and are paid extremely low salary when compared to local and workers from the first world working in the same jobs. More so, they do not receive protection from both sending and host governments.

The situation of women workers continues to worsen. Their rights in the workplace are ignored. They are not provided with equal job opportunities as those given to men. They usually receive less for the same amount and quality of work done. They face gender discrimination in the workplace, especially sexual and physical harassment from other employees and employers.
Because of extreme poverty, the practice of child labor continues. Children are being forced to work in sweatshops and garbage collectors, become domestic helpers instead of going to school to become educated.
In factories, shops and the workplace, the rights of workers and trade unions are intentionally being denied by multinational corporations and local exploiting industrialists. Some are being denied their rights to hold strikes and pickets and to negotiate their demands.

Our Commitment We, the participants of this camp, thereby express our firm commitment to advance and uphold the right of the people to education and employment.

We affirm our conviction that education is a fundamental right and not a privilege. It must be free, compulsory, scientific, practical, competitive, nationalist, people-oriented and must respond to the people’s needs and interests. We demand that the budget for the military, for the repression of our people, be channeled to the much more necessary and productive use of educating our people. We recommend the introduction of an education tax coming from high-income earning people and sale of liquor and cigarettes/tobacco.

We demand an end to the commercialization and privatization of education and other dictates of neo-liberal globalization. Education should not be used as a means of getting profit but to serve the nation and people.
To this end, we call for a curriculum that is scientific, secular, and knowledge-based and also adopt sound and scientific examination system. It should be a curriculum that shall teach students to become nationalists, critical thinkers and progressive-minded. It must serve not the demands of the foreign job market but the needs of our countries.
Discrimination of women, indigenous peoples, cultural and gender minorities should be ended. Mother language or mother tongue education should be promoted and protected to enrich our people’s culture and make education more accessible for them.
Our teachers should be given necessary and up-to-date trainings as well as reasonable and standard salaries. The appointment of education ministers, heads and officials should be based on their merit and qualifications, not political biases.
We call on the government and school administrators to end their intervention in student affairs. Students should be given full academic freedom, which means freedom to publish, organize, speak, hold rallies and assemblies. Student publication, councils and governments should be fully independent, without intervention and fully supported by school administrations and governments.
With regards to employment, we call on our governments that all capable individuals be given full employment according to their qualifications, regardless of their sex, gender and race. Differently-abled individuals should be given full social security including living allowances, health care, etc.
The capitalist dictate of contractualization should be stopped immediately. All workers and employees in the private and public sector should be given full job security.
We demand for food sovereignty and security and the protection of the ownership of seeds to the farmers.
The labor-export policy of the government should also be stopped while the rights of migrant workers should be ensured and protected. We demand the free movement of people. Overseas workers should be paid salaries equal to those of the local workers in the respective countries.
The rights of women should be respected in the workplace. They should be given equal treatment, opportunities and equal wage for an equal amount of work. Discrimination, abuse and harassment should be stopped and apprehended.
The government should ensure that child labor be stopped and that working children be sent to schools to study.
The rights of workers should be respected and upheld according to the conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

We believe that the ultimate solution to these problems on employment and poverty is the end of feudalism along with autocratic, orthodox state and foreign intervention in our countries. Genuine and comprehensive land reform as well as national industrialization should likewise be realized. The process of industrialization and development should also be environmentally-friendly and sustainable. National sovereignty and the people’s right to self determination should be asserted and protected. All unequal treaties and agreements with capitalist nations should be ended and our countries should have an independent foreign policy.

In pursuit of these demands, we shall hold forums, symposia, rallies, demonstrations and peaceful mass movement to pressure our respective governments and involve more students and youth in our fight for our rights to education and employment.
These we declare in solidarity with all students and youth in the Asia-pacific region and the world who face, stand up to and unite to frustrate the onslaught of neo-liberal globalization.

Education is a fundamental right, not a privilege!
Employment for all!
Long live students and youth movements of Asia and the Pacific!
Long live international solidarity!

Lack of development generating extremism: Tarun Gogoi Times of India PTINEW DELHI: Pleading Central assistance for development programmes, the Assam government on Wednesday said inadequate distribution of funds and backwardness have generated insurgency.

"The population of two hill districts of the state is 10 lakh while the states of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram, which were carved out of Assam, have a population of 23 lakhs, 20 lakhs and nine lakh respectively," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said at the National Development Council meeting.

"The plan assistance received by these districts of Assam (Rs 286 crore) is comparatively far less than the plan assistance received by Meghalaya (Rs 800 crore), Nagaland (Rs 685 crore) and Mizoram (Rs 620 crore). This has resulted in slow development of these areas, generating support for extremist activities and demand for separate state-hood," he said.

He said within the group of special category states, the allocation for Assam appears to be only 15.29 per cent while population-wise it should have been 41.84 per cent.

"This is in contrast to the allocation of the other special category states, which is more or less proportionate to their population," he said. Gogoi said his government was keen to work with the Centre to explore the natural resources available in the state, including oil and gas. "The 11th Plan document envisages continuation of the policy to encourage national and international oil companies to explore oil and gas in the country. New technology to extract more oil from known and depleted reserves is to be encouraged. Assam offers enough opportunities in this sector..," he said.
Drive against HNLC, NLFT Correspondent Nagaland Post
Shillong, Dec 18: Security forces launched a major offensive against HNLC and NLFT militants in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, a senior police official said on Tuesday. The offensive was carried out jointly by Meghalaya Police, Special Operation Team and Border Security Force after the state police busted a joint transit camp of the two militant groups inside Narpuh Reserve Forest, bordering Assam and Bangladesh.
However, police failed to arrest any of the militants. "They managed to escape, but we are going ahead with our combing operations to nab them," Inspector General of Police B L Buam said.
Security forces recovered a large number of cartridges of 9mm and .22 pistols, four AK-56 rifle butts, one high frequency walkie-talkie, a dairy containing Bangladesh and Indian telephone numbers of HNLC and NLFT ultras, micro cassettes, photographs, incriminating documents, besides a medical prescription of Bangladesh-based doctor from the camp.
Earlier before raiding the camp, police arrested two top HNLC militants from Chiehruphi village in Jaintia Hills. The HNLC and the NLFT - fighting for a sovereign independent homeland for the Hynniewtrep people in Meghalaya and Tripuri people in Tripura - said to have planned to kidnap businessmen on ransom from Jaintia hills. The Jaintia Hills district has large deposits of coal and lime stones and other mineral resources. The coal mines are jointly run by locals and Marwari businessmen. At present, the district has three cement plants. Half a dozen more such plants would be set up soon.
"Extortion demands have gone up in Jaintia Hills district with the support of some coal-mafias and especially after cement companies decided to set up their plants," an intelligence official said.
"They (militants) are concentrating in Jaintia Hills mainly to carry out extortion demands after they failed to extort much from business houses in Shillong," the official asserted.The militants also extort from trucks passing through National Highway 44, the lifeline of Lower Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and parts of Manipur, he said. The HNLC suffered a major blow when its chairman Julius K Dorphang surrendered before Chief Minister DD Lapang.

Concern over dying fish in Brahmaputra NDTV Kishalay Bhattacharjee

(Guwahati) An unnatural phenomenon, marine life dying in the Brahmaputra in Guwahati leaves experts baffled and worse police had to intervene to stop people from making a meal of the dying fish.

''People are catching these fish. Later they will consume it and get poisoned, ''said a policeman.
The district administration has issued a warning against consuming fish dying unnaturally. But not before the big catches were gone. The smaller variety was still seen dying. None of the government agencies were seen at the site till we informed the pollution control department. But even experts are at a loss to explain the unnatural death of fish.

''This is an unnatural phenomenon which is happening, but without lab tests we cant say anything, for us also it's a new thing,'' said Dr D J Hazarika Department of Foresnic Sciences. A few weeks ago, NDTV had carried a report on the numerous vessels in this area licensed to run floating restaurants and discos, releasing pollutants into the water, affecting marine life. But no one seems to have taken notice yet. Earlier, after we reported how waste from Indian Oil's refinery was being dumped into the river, the PSU took immediate corrective steps.

But this apart, the river continues to get more polluted with each passing day. It is a lifeline of the entire region and a source of livelihood for thousands besides being the source of water supply to the state. But the Brahmaputra has been more abused then used. The effects are here to see. This phenomenon may be a localised case but it should act as a wakeup call.

Mass fish deaths baffle city A STAFF REPORTER The Telegraph
Guwahati, Dec. 18: Is it a sign of an impending natural disaster, wondered shopowner Kamal Medhi as he stared at scores of dead fish floating in a pool at Kacharighat this morning.
Separated from the Brahmaputra by a sandbar, the pool, which is the dumping ground for local puja idols, became a graveyard for a variety of fish which died under mysterious circumstances, probably last night. Medhi had stopped in his tracks when he spotted some floating objects in the pool that he had been passing by everyday for the past three years.
“We have never seen anything like this,” he said. As more and more passersby gathered by the pool for a closer look at the “phenomenon” and speculated about the mystery, the Pollution Control Board, Assam, rushed its officials to the waterbody. However, they could not put a reason to it.
“According to our preliminary inquiry, the fish may have died last night. The possibility of reduction in the level of dissolved oxygen in the water cannot be ruled out. Though there is little chance of a drop in the dissolved oxygen level in a river like the Brahmaputra, organic load and toxic substances in this particular pool of water might have reduced the level. We will be able to ascertain the cause by Thursday,” deputy analyst of the pollution board, Deepak Barua, said. It was 10.30am when Medhi first saw the fish. “When we looked closer, we were shocked to see a large number of dead fish. We even saw some of the fishes dying in front of our eyes. There was a huge variety, both large and small,” he said.
“Some were discussing that such deaths are considered ominous and indicate the possibility of natural disasters like earthquake. I do not know how true it is. I am confused,” said Medhi. Dulu Das, who came to the deputy commissioner’s office at Kacharighat from Hajo for some work, went to the poolside after hearing about the dead fish.
“Someone must have poisoned the water so that they can sell the fish. People often do that in our village in winter when the water level in rivers and ponds goes down,” he said. The pollution control board, however, was not ready to hazard a guess about the cause till it had received results of laboratory analysis of the water samples it has collected from six different points of the river. Samples of dead fish have also been collected to examine whether they have died after consuming any toxic substance and any other pollutants in the water, an official of pollution control board said. As the number of curious onlookers increased and some even began plunging into the water for some of the “booty”, the administration deployed police to prevent people from taking away the dead fish.
Gandhi is applicable in today's Burma. By Dr. Sein Myint Mizzima news
December 19, 2007 - The question "Is Gandhi applicable in today's Burma ?" has been raised by a writer from the Shan Herald Agency for News. In the nonviolent struggle against the Imperial British colonists in South Africa and in British India, Gandhi told his followers not to take 'an eye for an eye' but to take 'blows from the adversaries, to make them feel guilty for their cruel actions.'
Shan Herald's author pointed out that Gandhi was not fighting against 'lawless power' as in present day Burma, for both South Africa's apartheid regime and the British were known as 'apostles to the Rule of Law.' And when Life's Margaret Bourke-White asked Gandhi if he believed that he could use nonviolence against someone like Hitler, Gandhi's response was, "When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and, for a time, they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it always." The Shan Herald's writer seems to have agreed. Certainly, the writer from Shan Herald is not the first person; this question has been on the mind of many people from the Burmese democratic opposition for quite some time now. The question is very relevant to our cause in the struggle for freedom from the military tyranny in Burma.
Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolent struggle has always been an inspiration for all freedom fighters including Burma 's democracy icon, Daw Aung San Su Kyi, who is an ardent believer and practitioner of this doctrine. Her father, the late Bogyoke Aung San, however, relied on more conventional methods, using all or any available opportunities in his struggle for Burma's independence from the British and later from the Japanese.
In the movie, Thirteen Days, about the Cuban Missile crisis in October, 1962, the United States President JF Kennedy boldly applied a naval blockade on Cuba while confronting incoming USSR ships loaded with long range nuclear missiles. At the same time he pressured Soviet Premier Khrushchev to withdraw the existing short and medium range nuclear missiles from Cuba. The drama intensified as the Soviet ships approached the blockade and the prospect of the Third World War III increased. The world narrowly escaped from the brink of nuclear holocaust when the Soviet ships decided to turn around and avoided the confrontation. Nikita Khrushchev was the first to blink in this nuclear showdown with President Kennedy, and subsequently paid the price and lost his job. Next year President Kennedy was allegedly assassinated by a lone assassin, a communist sympathizer Lee Harvey Oswald, in Dallas, Texas.
The question is what might have happened if Khrushchev had not backed down but decided to order his ships to continue sailing into the American naval quarantine zone and ordered Soviet nuclear submarines accompanying the cargo ships to retaliate, once the US navy destroyers fired upon the Soviet ships. At the same time the Soviet medium and short range nuclear missiles were already aimed at the east coast of the United States, including Washington DC, the US was standing by at Defcon-2 level, with B-52 strategic bombers loaded with nuclear bombs up in the air, and the ICBM silos in the Midwest were opened-up ready for firing. It could have been the beginning of a nuclear war followed by a holocaust.
"Did President Kennedy make the right move by calling Khrushchev's bluff and ordering a naval blockade on Cuba ?" Everyone in the While House was extremely nervous and tense during the showdown and was quite relieved once they heard that the Soviet ships had turned back. Did meeting the 'force' with 'force' pay off?
It is a total reverse from offering the other cheek to your enemy. But to answer the question, first it is essential for us to examine and understand everything about our adversary; i.e. their strengths, weaknesses, culture, belief, attitude, mentality, up-bringing, and all other prevailing circumstances that are likely to change with time. And compare notes with all relevant historical background before we decide on the best possible action. For example, the attitude and mentality of the late 19th century Imperialist British Raj and 21st century Burmese military dictator cannot have been the same, although there could be some similarities on the methods applied to quell and control demonstrations against them. And in the prevailing political circumstances supporting and influencing the decisions of both regimes are not the same. Therefore the decisions by the Governor-General in British India against the nonviolent Indian Congress could not be the same as the decisions by the Burmese military junta against the nonviolent Buddhist monks and activists.
Hence, the short answer to the question of whether nonviolent methods will work against the hard-line military dictators in Burma is, 'yes' it will work in the end, but when is the end? This is an important question, for the end may come next year or in ten years. But, one thing for certain is that many people inside the country will have to endure much more suffering before they obtain the fruit of freedom. Anyhow, our Lord Buddha taught us that Life itself is 'suffering.'
[Dr. Sein Myint serves as Director for Policy Development with Justice for Human Rights in Burma (JHB).]
India, China to Strengthen Myanmar’s IT Capability Indo Burma News
December 18, 2007: (Chennai Centre for China Studies) India and China have been competing with each other not only in helping Myanmar’s military junta in the exploitation of its vast gas reserves in the Arakan area, but also in strengthening its IT capability. The Junta, which is keen to develop an IT capability, which will not be dependent on Western companies and which it can strictly control without letting it be exploited by pro-democracy elements, has sought the help of India and China. Both have responded positively.
2. On December 12, 2007, during the visit of U Kyaw Thu, Myanmar’s Deputy Foreign Minister, to New Delhi, India and Myanmar were reported to have signed a Memorandum of Understandg (MOU) under which India will help Myanmar to establish an India-Myanmar Centre for Enhancement of Information Technology Skills (IMCEITS) in Yangon (Rangoon). 3. On December 14, 2007, the Junta inaugurated at a place near Pyin Oo Lwin town in the Mandalay area, Myanmar’s second IT Park called the Yadanabon Cyber City. Myanmar’s first IT Park, which is called the Myanmar Information and Communication Technology (MICT) Park, is located in Yangon.
4. To start with, the Yadanabon Cyber City has a cross border fiber ink from China, which is already functional. The Junta is reportedly proposing to have a similar link from India and Thailand. Initially, the Cyber City will focus on the production of software, but will ultimately undertake the production of hardware too. The Junta is hoping to get the co-operation of Indian software companies for developing its software capability.
5. In the meanwhile, reports emanating from Washington DC indicate that President George Bush is likely to drop plans for an US-ASEAN summit in his Texan ranch.During the summit conference of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum (APEC) at Sydney in September, 2007, Mr.Bush was reported to have invited the leaders of the ASEAN countries to his ranch for a summit to discuss US-ASEAN relations. The US is since reported to have indicated to the ASEAN countries that in view of the recent brutal suppression of an agitation by students and monks in Myanmar by the Junta in August-September, 2007, the US may have difficulty in organising this summit. Myanmar is a member of the ASEAN and the US would find it difficult to invite Myanmar at any level. (18-12-07)
(The writer, Mr.B.Raman, is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute for Topical Studies, Chennai. He is also associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies. E-mail:seventyone2@gmail.com)