By IANS,
Guwahati : The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Friday described as baseless former union home secretary G.K. Pillai’s claim that the outfit’s commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah has been shuttling between Yunan in China and Myanmar and that the Indian government had submitted to the Chinese government the air tickets of his travels.
ULFA publicity secretary Arunudoy Asom, in an email statement sent to the media Friday, said the allegation is inconsistent with facts and that it had been made out of frustration.
Pillai had made the claim Monday.
Asom also said that Pillai had masterminded the total destruction of ULFA but his initiatives had suffered a setback.
China on Thursday dismissed charges that it was aiding insurgent groups from India’s northeast in its soil, saying that it follows the policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. China’s foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin was reacting to Pillai’s comments.
Pillai “initiated an attempt to destroy ULFA” when he was home secretary, Asom’s statement said, adding: “The Indian government also pumped in huge amounts of money to eliminate Paresh Baruah. But his effort failed and ULFA is still active. Pillai’s statement on Paresh Baruah is an outcome of frustration.”
Bangladesh was a safe haven for ULFA till early 2009. But most of the militant outfits of northeast India suffered a setback after Sheikh Hasina took over as the country’s prime minister. Most of the top ULFA leaders, including chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, were nabbed in Bangladesh in 2009 and handed over to India. But Paresh Baruah and some of his trusted lieutenants managed to give the slip to Bangladeshi security agencies.
A large section of ULFA leaders under Rajkhowa’s guidance began peace talks with the Indian government but Baruah has opposed this.
It is believed that after the Bangladesh debacle, ULFA attempted to establish links with the Chinese PLA. Intelligence agencies from time to time said that Baruah has been shuttling between Yunan province and the north of Myanmar. ULFA is believed to have managed to set up its camps in some areas of Myanmar where the governmenthas no administrative control.