|
|
| India4u News | |
|
World News
|
|
by_emR3 SaVSaK.CoM
|
Posted online: Thursday, September 22, 2005 at 4:58:46 PM
|
The Assam government Thursday indicated it would halt an ongoing army operation against the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) if it were to declare a ceasefire.
"Let the ULFA announce a ceasefire and we shall respond positively. There is no indication that the ULFA is going to stop its offensive against security forces and so we cannot declare a unilateral truce right now," Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told journalists here.
A massive army operation has been on for a fortnight inside the Dibru Saikhowa National Park in eastern Assam.
The ULFA, a rebel group fighting for an independent Assamese homeland since 1979, claimed it had lost at least 15 fighters in the army raid inside the wildlife sanctuary.
Army authorities have neither denied nor confirmed the casualties, but admitted an operation against the ULFA was on in the area.
"Since an operation by the Indian Army against us is on, the question of offering a ceasefire does not arise," ULFA chairperson Aurobinda Rajkhowa said in a statement received by IANS.
The ULFA had offered to hold talks with the central government and two weeks back nominated an 11-member group of public representatives headed by noted Assamese writer Indira Goswami. ULFA representatives were expected to hold preparatory talks with government peace negotiators next month in New Delhi to pave the way for the rebel leadership to begin direct talks with the authorities at a later stage.
The ULFA leadership has threatened to pull out of the proposed talks saying the government was not reciprocating the outfit's peace overtures. "... Our gesture for a negotiated settlement to the problem was being answered by a massive army operation," the ULFA leader said.
-IANS
Source-IANS
|
Talk, discuss, share & and comment on this news
|
|
|
