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Assam rebel group accuses India of rejecting peace overtures

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Guwahati, India, Aug 1, IRNA
India-ULFA-Talks
A frontline separatist group in India's northeastern state of Assam Tuesday accused New Delhi of rejecting the outfits peace overtures by not holding direct talks with the rebel leadership.

"The Indian government smacks of insincerity in holding direct talks with us and coming up with one pretext or the other," the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) said in a statement.

"We are ready for direct talks, but the government lacks the initiative."

The ULFA, which has been fighting for an independent Assamese homeland since 1979, last October appointed an 11-member civil society group to open exploratory talks with New Delhi to pave the way for direct negotiations between the rebel leadership and government negotiators.

India's Home Secretary V.K. Duggal said in New Delhi over the weekend that New Delhi was ready to clear 'minor hurdles' to hold talks with the ULFA leadership.

Three rounds of talks between the ULFA chosen Peoples Consultative Group (PCG) and New Delhi were already held.

The ULFA leader said it would like to have a clear commitment from the Indian government that the negotiators would discuss the outfits main demand for independence in the talks.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the first meeting with the PCG in October last year said his government was ready to discuss 'all issues when direct negotiations begin'.

"The statement about discussing all issues is nothing but vague.

We want a clear cut commitment that India would discuss the issue of sovereignty when talks begin," the statement said.

The rebel statement said it would sit for direct talks with New Delhi only when the government releases five of their jailed leaders.

"We don't want a ceasefire but would like to see an end to the war. Since we are committed to solving the problem politically we want the release of our top leaders so that we can chalk out strategies before formal talks start," the ULFA statement said.

India's Home Minister Shivraj Patil during talks with the ULFA representatives in June agreed to release five jailed rebel leaders.

"Why is the delay in releasing the jailed leaders and why the government still is conducting military offensive against us if it was committed for peace," the statement said.

The ULFA is one of the most organized militant groups in India's northeast, where more than 30 rebel groups operate with demands ranging from secession to greater autonomy.

At least 15,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Assam since 1979 when the ULFA, the state's first rebel group was founded.

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