DATE=6/18/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDIA / KASHMIR / L
NUMBER=2-263576
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A senior Indian Army general says more than two
thousand Kashmir separatists are ready to cross into
Indian-administered Kashmir from Pakistani territory.
V-O-A's Jim Teeple reports India's military says
Kashmir separatists have also stepped up their
recruitment and training efforts recently.
TEXT: Major General J-R Mukherjee -- the senior
Indian Army commander in Indian-administered Kashmir -
- says there are several large groups of Kashmir
separatists waiting to infiltrate into Indian
territory. He says the guerrillas are spread out at
different locations along the 740-kilometer "line of
control" which divides Kashmir between India and
Pakistan.
General Mukherjee also says more than five thousand
fighters have recently been trained in camps operated
by militant separatists in Pakistan. The Indian
General says Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence
Agency and the Pakistan Army operate 123 training
camps for the guerrillas - providing them with
sophisticated weaponry, including missiles and "state
of the art" communications equipment.
Pakistan strongly denies offering Kashmir separatists
anything other than diplomatic and moral support.
Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in its entirety.
Two of the three wars the two countries have fought
have been over the disputed territory. Last year,
both countries nearly went to war again, after
guerrillas from Pakistan occupied strategic mountain
peaks on the Indian side of the line of control.
General Mukherjee will not say when he expects the
guerrillas he says are now on the border to begin
infiltrating into Indian Kashmir. During his visit to
South Asia in March, President Clinton called the line
of control "the most dangerous place on earth." In a
recent interview with V-O-A, General Mukherjee said he
does not agree with Mr. Clinton's statement -- but he
says there is no question the line of control is an
active combat area.
// MUKHERJEE ACTUALITY //
I would not say it is the most dangerous place in the
world, as President Clinton puts it, but what I would
say is that the line of control is definitely active
and will remain active as long as Pakistan continues
to try and push across terrorists.
// END ACTUALITY //
Kashmir separatists have been fighting Indian security
forces in Kashmir for a decade. An estimated 30-
thousand people have died in the conflict.
In recent weeks, India has released several separatist
political leaders from detention, in a move to
encourage talks aimed at achieving a political
solution to the Kashmir crisis. But separatist
leaders say any talks on Kashmir should include
Pakistan -- something India rejects. So far, there is
no indication that talks between the separatists and
the Indian Government will take place anytime soon.
(Signed)
neb/jlt/wd
TEXT:
NEB/WTW/
18-Jun-2000 05:15 AM EDT (18-Jun-2000 0915 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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