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Bhutanese
may take up arms to evict ULFA, NDFB
By A Staff
Reporter
GUWAHATI,
Feb 11— The people of Bhutan have expressed their
willingness to take up arms, if necessary, to evict the ULFA
and Bodo militants from Bhutan, said a report in the
Himalayan Kingdom’s state run weekly Kuensel.
Pressure is mounting on the Government of Bhutan to evict
the ULFA and NDFB militants from the territory of Bhutan as
the Bhutanese people have expressed concern over the
presence of the militants. The continued presence of the
ULFA and Bodo militants has become an increasingly serious
threat to the security and sovereignty of the country and
could take away the peace and happiness that the Bhutanese
people always enjoyed, this was the view expressed by the
people of Trashiyangtse during the Eighth plan review
meeting recently. In that meeting, the people of
Trashiyangtse pledged to take up arms, if necessary, to
evict the militants from the country.
Addressing the meeting, the King of Bhutan expressed
concern at the lack of progress in the peaceful methods to
persuade the ultras to leave the Bhutanese territory. “The
militants stated that it was not possible for them to leave
Bhutan until they achieve their goal of gaining independence
from Assam. As it would not be possible for them to achieve
their goal, their stay in Bhutan can become indefinite,
“the King pointed out. He further said that the Government
of Bhutan would make all out efforts to persuade the
militants to leave through peaceful dialogue.
The Bhutan King said that if Bhutan was left with no
other option but to send its armed forces to remove the
militants, it would mean fighting a war against them. This
would result in grave consequences including loss of life
and the Bhutanese people and vehicles passing through Assam
would not be safe, he said. He informed the meeting that the
Government was making all arrangements to ensure supply of
essential food items to the people by building adequate food
reserve if an emergency situation emerged. Referring to the
views expressed by the representatives of people to seek
international assistance to resolve the problem, the King
reminded the plan review meeting that safeguarding the
security and sovereignty of the country is the sacred
responsibility of the Bhutanese people. “In the past our
forefathers sought assistance from the British to repulse
the invasions by the Tibetans from the North and then
approached the Tibetans to help fight the British in South
Bhutan,” he added.
Addressing the meeting Bhutan Home Minister Lyonpo Thinley
Zyamtsho briefed the people about the steps taken by the
Government to solve the problem. He informed the meeting
that the militants have not only refused to come for talks
but were becoming “more blatant” about their presence in
Bhutan. The militants have started to move around frequently
in towns and villages in the border areas with arms. They
are mistaking Bhutan’s peaceful approach to resolve the
problem as weakness and are becoming more aggressive and
blatant in their activities, the Bhutan Home Minister said.
He also appealed to the people to refrain from helping the
militants.
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