Tackling ULFA, the Bhutan way!
Reeta Sharma

THE phrase chand mein bhi daag hai is apt for Bhutan. The serenity and peace of this nation is being threatened by militants, who have infiltrated into Bhutan from across the border.

The King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, was on a visit to India earlier this month to discuss the issue of militants from Assam hiding in his country. This King, who has brought historical changes in his country like decentralisation of power, is being lauded for the way he has handled these terrorists.

Bhutan has a long border with Assam. There are at least eight regular vehicular entry points, making it practically impossible to keep an eye on all of them. These are also the road points through which the majority of the trade between Bhutan and India takes place.

"These entry points and the thick forests have added to the woes of the Royal Bhutan government, as Assam militants have infiltrated into the border belt to carry out their anti-India activities," says India’s Ambassador to Bhutan K.S. Jasrotia.

Foreign Secretary Ugyen Tshering

"We still believe in talks and a peaceful way out. Military action would be our very last step."

Militant organisations like the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) have set up base camps in the border villages of Bhutan. After committing crime in Assam, these militants sneak back into Bhutan. This has been going on for several years. The number of militants and their activities has increased, much to the chagrin of the Bhutanese Government.

The Indian intelligence agencies estimate that the number of militants belonging to these outfits and taking shelter in Bhutan could be around 3,000. According to political observers, while ULFA and the NDFB were fighting for an "independent homeland" in Assam, the KLO was a ragtag outfit from West Bengal propped up by ULFA. "Today, besides at least nine camps of ULFA and seven of BODO, outlaws of the NDFB and KLO have been camping and operating in Bhutan. These numbers keep fluctuating depending upon our talks with them, to which only sometimes they respond positively," remarks Bhutanese Minister of Tourism Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk.

Tourism Minister Lyonpo Khandu

"At present, besides at least nine camps of ULFA, outlaws of the NDFB and KLO are operating in Bhutan."

What is the Bhutanese Government doing about this? The Royal Government’s Foreign Secretary, Ugyen Tshering, says: "The state has neither the requisite military nor the expertise to physically dislodge the armed militants hiding in the forests of Bhutan. Of late, they have increasingly become a security threat to our own people, residing on the border with Assam".

Elaborating, Tshering says, "As followers of Buddhism, Bhutanese believe in non-violence. Therefore, the government’s first option was to hold talks with them for a peaceful solution. Talks have been going on with ULFA for the past three to four years. Consequently, two years ago, the militants had agreed to leave Bhutan. They did abide by this agreement and returned to the Indian Territory. But soon came back to Bhutan. We still believe in talks and a peaceful way out. Military action would be our very last step."

To the question that why had Bhutan’s intelligence agencies failed to detect and check the infiltration of Assam militants, Tshering says that Bhutan did not have a major intelligence wing. The intelligence wings in the Army and the police were in their infancy. Thus, by the time the Royal Government of Bhutan came to know of the militants’ activities and their campsites, their number had swelled up significantly.

Despite these constraints, Bhutan has worked out a multi-pronged approach to deal with the infiltration. The Bhutan National Assembly has asked its government to initiate a dialogue with anti-India forces. The Assembly even resolved to evoke the National Security Act and evict the militants forcefully, if the peace-talks failed. This was in July last year.

Earlier, the Bhutanese Government had given the deadline of December 3, 2002, to the rebels to leave the kingdom. Later the deadline was extended to June 15, 2003.

Tshering said Bhutan was as much a victim of Assam militants as are people of Assam and West Bengal. "Though a problem of India, it has spread to Bhutan. Frankly, we have nothing to do with these militants, who pose a major law and order problem for us. And Bhutan has been so peaceful for centuries. It is an irony that Bhutanese, who are so passionately increasing their forest cover, are today faced with a problem due to these very dense forests."

There are as many as 10 border districts, which are affected by militancy. These are also the ones which are more populous than those in the west of Bhutan. As the militants have also attacked people in these districts, this prompted His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuk to visit the border area and address the people. He openly told them to socially boycott the militants and also forbade them from having any trade with them. The King gave a call to his people to be prepared to throw these militants out of their country.

Despite the King’s orders, seven Bhutanese were found to be having links with the militants. They were promptly prosecuted. As per the King’s orders, the Bhutanese now do not sell any ration to the militants. Besides, the Royal Bhutan Government too has shut down markets and shifted schools from militants-infested areas. In fact, the King of Bhutan has ensured that Bhutanese residing in the militant-infested villages near the dense forests get shifted to safer places.