News
 International
   Global Views
   Asia-Pacific
   America
   Europe
   Middle East & Africa
 National
 Embassy News
 Arts & Living
 Business
 Travel & Hotel
 Medical Tourism New
 Taekwondo
 Media
 Letters to Editor
 Photo Gallery
 News Media Link
 TV Schedule Link
 News English
 Life
 Hospitals & Clinics
 Flea Market
 Moving & Packaging
 Religious Service
 Korean Classes
 Korean Weather
 Housing
 Real Estate
 Home Stay
 Room Mate
 Job
 English Teaching
 Translation/Writing
 Job Offered/Wanted
 Business
 Hotel Lounge
 Foreign Exchanges
 Korean Stock
 Business Center
 PR & Ads
 Entertainment
 Arts & Performances
 Restaurants & Bars
 Tour & Travel
 Shopping Guide
 Community
 Foreign Missions
 Community Groups
 PenPal/Friendship
 Volunteers
 Foreign Workers
 Useful Services
 ST Banner Exchange
  Asia-Pacific
Letters from India
ULFA Leader Appeals UNHCR for Political Asylum
By Nava Thakuria
Special Correspondent
ULFA Weapons
Indian Army displays weapons taken from United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) rebels in Gauhati, India. ULFA rebels have been fighting since 1979 for an independent homeland in India's northeastern Assam state. The militant group was banned and classified as a terrorist group by Indian government in 1990 whereas the US State Department lists it under "Other groups of concern."

As New Delhi starts talking tough on Dhaka regarding the terror issues, the banned Indian armed leaders, who are taking shelter in Bangladesh, have foreseen a difficult time ahead. Soon after the Mumbai terror attacks in November, which aroused unprecedented public anger against the terrorists as well as the authority, the new Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram echoed the sentiment of the people with strongest words in the Parliament. The leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom predicted the outcome and hence they went for engaging the international refugee rights body to pursue for their jailed leader Anup Chetia. Apprehending the India's next course of actions to be more tough, the General Secretary of ULFA recently appealed for asylum in a safe country (including Bangladesh).

Anup had written to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on December 7 urging for refugee status and political asylum. Besides Anup, who had been inside bar in Dhaka for a decade, his solicitor Muhammad Abdus Sattar also sent a letter to the Representative of UNHCR Bangladesh Office in Dhaka asking for intervention. Both the letters have been included in the latest issue of ULFA's electronic mouthpiece 'Freedom.'

Taking part in the lower house of Parliament on December 16, the Home minister commented, "A message must go that Bangladesh is duty-bound to honour its commitment and assurances." Asserting that the ministry had information regarding the presence of Indian insurgents in Bangladesh soil, Chidambaram stressed on Dhaka's actions against Northeast Indian insurgents, who were operating from the neighbouring country.

Chidambaram also commented that Bangladesh must realise that it would only be hurting itself in the long run if it did not share a good relationship with India and its borders with India were not secure. He also added that the ULFA and other insurgent groups had been working with the Bangladeshi terror outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) to continue disrupting activities in Assam and other parts of Northeast.

Addressing António Guterres, head of the Geneva based UNHCR, Anup described as being held at Kashimpur Jail in the outskirts of Dhakal. He pleaded that he was 'no longer a convict to be held in a jail' as, Anup argued, "I completed my seven years of imprisonment for entering Bangladesh illegally carrying foreign currencies and a satellite phone.

He also repeated declaring the aim of ULFA to form a Swadhin Asom (Sovereign Assam) out of India. As this is in direct conflict with the Indian Government's aggressive policy of so-called national integrity, I became an enemy of the Indian Government. Eventually the organisation was proscribed and the Indian Army operations were launched against my organisation resulting in deaths of many of the members of our organisation, Anup stated. Disclosing about his birth at Jerai Gaon in Tinisukia of Assam, Anup, whose real name is Golap Barua, added, "I was arrested in India and was mercilessly tortured and finding my life was in danger I escaped using a ploy with the Indian authorities. Since then I have been trying to avoid capture by the Indian authorities."

India has seriously been pressurising Bangladesh government from the very beginning of my arrest in this country to hand me over to them. But as I have denounced my Indian Nationality and there is no extradition treaty between the two countries, have so far been the rejected India's request.

Apprehending his life 'will not be safe soon after his release from the prison', Anup urged for his safety and appealed for intervention by the UNHCR Bangladesh Office to grant him 'a refugee status and political asylum.' Anup claimed that the 'long ten years and eight months in Bangladesh prison has taken its toll' and he was 'craving for a normal existence.'

Meanwhile the letter addressing Pia Pyrtz Phiri, the Bangladesh Representative of UNHCR, from his advocate Muhammad Abdus Sattar termed Anup as a 'Freedom Fighter', whose life was under threat as Dhaka might extradite him to India. "Apprehending his possible handing over to Indian authorities he (Anup) applied for political asylum to Bangladesh government. Bangladesh government while summarily rejected his prayer a human rights organisation in Bangladesh filed a writ petition to Bangladesh Supreme Court against that rejection," the advocate informed.

The apex court of Bangladesh issued a 'Rule to Bangladesh Government that why Anup Chetia shouldn't be given the asylum and the Rule not yet been disposed of.' The case is pending in the court, said Sattar adding, "Without considering the legal and political status of my client Anup Chetia, I came to know that there is a covert move possibly emanated from the terrible pressure created by Indian Government, the Bangladesh authority is preparing to hand over Anup Chetia to Indian authority very soon."



Related Articles
    Welcome to Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival
    Questioning Credibility of Editors Guild of ...
    When 177 Global Leaders Stand behind Prof. ...
    Manifesting Patriotism on I-Day
    Raising Demand for a Media Grievance Cell
    India: Rhetoric Boycott Call by Separatist ...
    Banning Polygamy with Consensus
    No End to NRC Controversy
    Protecting Rhinos in Manas National Park
    When Scribes Face Corruption Charges and ...
    Complainant to Re-approach Court on NRC Assam ...
    My Unforeseen Journey as a Scribe
    Converting Profit Hungry APDCL to Consumer ...
    Dreaming of a World with Three Zeros
    After Two Years of Military Coup Myanmar Heads ...
    When India¡¯s Highest Court Faces an Unwanted ...
    Riding City Buses in Guwahati
    When Rumour Kills a Mainstream Newspaper!
    Dissecting Assam NRC for Better Understanding
    Vehicular Speed That Kills Millions of Indians ...
    Intriguing Debate on Automobile Mishap
    Projecting Guwahati as a Krira Prangan
    New York Times: Editions, Visibility, ...
    Northeast Celebrates I-Day with Full Patriotic ...
    Marching Ahead with the Spirit of Swatantra ...
    Time for Journalists to Be Cautious, Authentic ...
    Prakash: Throwing Light on Tibetan Literature ...
    When Repeated FIRs Lodged against an IAS ...
    Developing Guwahati as a people-friendly city
    Negating PSO Culture among Media Persons
    Losing Public Goodwill: Assam Media's Way
    Global Award to Journalist Nava Thakuria
    India¡¯s Restive Region Sets to End 2021 ...
    RSS Condemns Islamist Attacks on Hindu ...
    When RSS Chief Bhagwat Articulates Agendas
    Let¡¯s Talk about Self-Reform and Financial ...
    'Self-reform and Financial Transparency in ...
    Tibet Sympathizers to Lodge Protest against ...
    Prof. Yunus Receives Laurel, Bangladesh Adds ...
    India Practices Secularism, Democracy and ...
    Needed a Scientific Probe into Bamunipahar ...
    Pandemic-Hit Book Publishers Eye for Openings
    India: Persisting Vulnerability to Scribes
    Bharat: Nurturing Nationalism with National ...
    POK Editor Bats for More Exchanges
    Cries Mounted for Reviving Nabin Chandra ...
    Scam, Media Outburst and Its Aftermath
    Amidst Chinese Threat Dalai Lama Concludes ...
    Asserting Media Person¡¯s Rights in India
    China¡¯s Myanmar Bonanza Sans Responsibility
    Manufacturing Misguided Protests in Assam
    Assam Forum Bats for Work Permits to ...
    Bhupen-da Came alive with Dhola-Sadiya Bridge ...
    Remembering My Principal Sir!
    Saluting Tricolour to Defy Militants¡¯ Diktat ...
    Underlining India¡¯s Productive Engagement in ...
    A Conservator Constitutional Head in Northeast ...
    Young Journalist Killed in India, ...
    Unpaid Media Employees of Northeast India
    Journalist Body Urges Political Parties to ...
    Saving the Tigers from Extinction
    Glorious Tribute to Bhupenda
    Burmese Students Term New Government Bogus
    Burma Turns Hostile to Indian Separatist Groups
    Northeast India Rediscovers Tricolour
    Indian People¡¯s Win Inspires Burmese Activists
    Nobel Support for a Noble Cause
    Activists Condemn India¡¯s Arm Deal with Burma
    Protest Note from Guwahati Press Club
    Journalists¡¯ Killings: Justice Eludes in ...
    Games Gogoi Played In Assam Polls
    Remembering Parag: Assam¡¯s Way
    Helicopter Missing from Northeast Indian Sky
    Allegations Poured on Indian Premier
    Allegations Fired at Indian Premier
    Rising Resentment against Corruption in India
    Satellite News Channel Launched in Northeast ...
    Looking at Burma's Forthcoming General ...
    Burma Election, Refugees and Media¡¯s Role
    When British Newspaper Tenders Apology to ...
    TST Contributor Honored with Excellence Award
    Burning Rhino Horns: Creating Controversy
    Condemning Military Election in Burma
    Protest against Military Election in Burma
    Burmese Demonstrates Anger against Junta
    Assam: A Pretending Warrior and Peace ...
    Southeastern Bangladesh Erupts in Violence
    Grim Picture of Human Rights in India
    Burma on Radar as New Delhi Prepares for ...
    Assam: Where People Defy Militant's Diktat
    Bangladesh Readies to Hang Bangabandhu Killers
    International Film Festival Begins in Guwahati
    RK Pachauri under Attack from British Media
    Selling News Space Culture in India: Concerns ...
    Asian MPs Insist on a Free & Fair 2010 Burma ...
    Guwahati Festival to Highlight Terrorism
    Assam: Brutal Armed Group, Incompetent ...
    Without Suu Kyi, 2010 Polls Have No Meaning
    Beijing Eyes Northeast India !
    Bumpy Road to Copenhagen
    Nava Thakuria Elected Assistant Gen. Sec. of ...
    Northeast India: People Defy Militant¡¯s ...
    Northeast India: Waiting for Justice for 18 ...
    Northeast India : Where Protector Turns Killer
    Raising Support for Democracy in Burma
    Indian Muslims Raise Voices for Uighurs
    Will Captive Breeding of Vultures Work?
    Northeast India: Trailing a Notorious Rebel
    Is Burma Junta Learning from Cyclone Nargis!
    Is a Nepali Fugitive Winning Indian Election?
    When Politician Uses Scribe for Vested Interest
    Assam Editor Killing: Protest Continues
    Freedom under Chinese Boot in Tibet
    Pride and Poverty: India's Amazing Blending
    Sri Lankan Crisis: Shelling on Hospital ...
    Northeast India Defies Militant's Diktat:
    Woman Journalist Killed in Nepal
    Urging for Insurance Coverage to Media Persons
    Bangladesh: Waiting for a Stable Democratic ...
    Assam Mourns Death of Mumbai Terror Attack
    When an Assamese Magazine Rejects ...
    Bangladesh Polls: Apprehension on Final Outcome
    Manipur Asks for CBI Probe into Scribe's ...
    Scribe's Killing in Northeast: Demand for ...
    'Suspend Burma from BIMSTEC'
    Guwahati Citizens Meet to Discuss Terrorism
    Group Clashes Shock Northeast India
    When Media Distorts Facts to Manufacture News
    Where Editors Swindle Reporters
    Calling upon Comprehensive Packages for ...
    Highlighting Media's Challenge and ...
    Media on Media' Glitch: An Exercise of ...
    An Ignited Assam Baffles ULFA
    Assam Defies Militant's Diktat to Celebrate ...
    Journalists Dare to Defy Militants' Diktat
    When Bangladeshi Influx Ignites Assam
    Nepal Can Expect a Consensus of Government Soon
    Victorious Maoists Lose Battle for Kathmandu
    India: Assam Party Waits for an Opportunity
    Burma after Nargis: Devastated, Depressed and ...
    When a Disastrous Regime Continues
    Exposing Corrupt Journalists of Our Time
    Nepal Waits a Republic Regime: Diasporas Don't ...
    Waiting for Consensus on Government in Nepal
    Condemnation Pours on Burmese Junta as Suu ...
    American-Assamese Preparing White Paper on ...
    Assam Government Bows Down to Public Outrages
    Shaky Start to Druk Democracy
    India and Burma Push Joint Project
    Bhutan Turns Democratic
    Disregarding Public Outcry: Assam Government's ...
    Army, Police Heads Become Governors in North ...
    Rhinos Dwindle as Poaching Thrives in India
    Taste of Democracy in Bhutan Is Not for ...


Nava Thakuria, who serves as a special correspondent for The Seoul Times, is based in Guwahati of Northeast India. He also contributes articles for many media outlets based in different parts of the glove, and can be contacted at navathakuria@gmail.com

 

back

 

 

 

The Seoul Times, Shinheung-ro 36ga-gil 24-4, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea 04337 (ZC)
Office: 82-10-6606-6188 Email:seoultimes@gmail.com
Copyrights 2000 The Seoul Times Company  ST Banner Exchange