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                          Vol.4, No.5 [*] February 1, 1999
                          --------------------------------

                   Leadership is action, not position.
                          - Donald H McGannon 
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

1  AMNESTY URGES ARMED GROUPS TO RECOGNIZE HUMAN RIGHTS   [S:1-FEB-99]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  Alarmed  by  the  increasing  violence in Assam, Amnesty
   International  is  renewing  its  call  on  all  involved  in   the
   conflicts  to  respect  human  rights  and  abide  by international
   humanitarian law. The organization is also urging the  Central  and
   State  Governments and the security forces to ensure that impartial
   investigations are carried out into all allegations of human rights
   violations by security forces.
   
   `Tension over land,  resources,  cultural  identity  and  political
   power has  reached a level where the  most basic of human rights --
   the right to life is being ignored', Amnesty International said.
   
   Amnesty  International  urged all parties concerned, in particular,
   armed groups to take the following steps:  Instruct all  combatants
   under  their  command in the rules of humanitarian law; to humanely
   treat prisoners,  the  wounded  and  those  seeking  to  surrender,
   whether  civilians or members of the armed force, and never to kill
   them; prohibit deliberate arbitrary and indiscriminate killings  of
   noncombatants    under    any    circumstances;    conduct   proper
   investigations into alleged abuses by their combatants; ensure that
   individuals suspected of  committing  or  ordering  deliberate  and
   arbitrary  killing  are  removed  from any position of authority or
   duties which bring them into contact with prisoners  or  others  at
   risk of abuse.
   
2  DEMAND FOR KHAMTI STATE IN ASSAM AND ARUNACHAL        [S:30-JAN-99]
   ----------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   The  Khamti   Signpho   Rights   Protection   Committee
   president,  Mr  Kamja  Sikhang  and general secretary, Chowpu Impu,
   called upon the Prime Minister of India, the Union  Home  Minister,
   and  Chief  Minister  of Arunachal Pradesh to create a small State,
   Khamti Singpho land,  comprising  the  erstwhile  areas  of  Khamti
   Singpho  territory,  to protect the distinct identity, language and
   culture of the historic Khamti Singpho tribes of Arunachal  Pradesh
   and Assam.
   
   They also expressed strong resentment against the repeated  neglect
   and  discrimination  against the Khamti Singpho tribes by the State
   Reorganization Commission, Northeast Reorganization Act, 1971,  and
   by the  Constituent  Assembly.  They also criticized the Government
   for dividing the Khamti Singpho territory by handing  over  a  vast
   portion  of  the  land to Assam and retaining the rest in Arunachal
   Pradesh.
   
3  NRIPEN GOSWAMI HITS OUT AT GOVERNOR                    [S:1-FEB-99]
   -----------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   `If the ULFA is punishable for its secessionist remarks
   then the State Governor, Lt Gen (retd) S.K.Sinha is equally subject
   to criticism under the purview of law for his wrong presentation of
   the Assam history to the President of India  on  the  influx  issue
   recommending  the  repeal  of the IM(DT) Act, which may disturb the
   communal harmony in the State,' the Nagaon MP,  Mr  Nripen  Goswami
   said  this while addressing a Congress Seva Dal meet at Samaguri on
   January 31.
   
   It  may  be  mentioned  that in a recent report to the President of
   India by the Governor, which created a big  controversy  among  the
   political and intellectual circles, the Governor had mentioned that
   the  four  districts where the Muslims are in majority might demand
   that the districts transferred to Bangladesh.
   
4  WIRELESS SET RECOVERED FROM ULFA WORRIES POLICE       [S:30-JAN-99]
   -----------------------------------------------
   NAGAON:  The recovery of a powerful wireless set  from  the  ULFA's
   action  group  commander  Kailash Laskar alias Surjya Bora, who was
   killed in an encounter with police at Madanbori village in Morigaon
   district  on  January  24,  has  raised   serious   concern   among
   intelligence  officials  as  they believe that the outfit must have
   had access to vital communication between the Army and  the  police
   on anti-insurgency operations.
   
   According  to  intelligence   sources,   the   highly-sophisticated
   Japanese  wireless  set  has  a range of 50 km whereas the wireless
   sets used by the police have an effective  range  of  only  30  km.
   Moreover,  the  `jamming'  is  more  effective in the Japanese set.
   Similar wireless set was recovered earlier in Sibsagar also.

5  BLT USING HIRED CRIMINALS IN GUWAHATI: POLICE         [S:30-JAN-99]
   ---------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  The  banned  Bodo  Liberation  Tigers (BLT) has, of late
   changed  its  tactics  of  indulging   themselves   in   subversive
   activities  and are using professional criminals to carry out their
   work. This has come to light following a series of arrests  of  BLT
   activists including some senior leaders by Guwahati City police.
   
   Police  told  The  Sentinel  that  the  task  of  apprehending  the
   activists  had  been  difficult  because the activists take shelter
   amongst their own people  in  the  newly  developed  Bodo-dominated
   areas of the city.
   
   Besides, they had a very simple life style and are mostly  occupied
   as  autorickshaw drivers, rickshaw-pullers or vegetable vendors and
   it makes very difficult to detect the culprits.    Lack  of  public
   awareness  also  aggravated  the  problem  as  the people often get
   misled about the actual identity of the militants.
   
6  SECURITY BEEFED UP, ARMY DESTROY POSTERS IN SIBSAGAR  [S:31-JAN-99]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   SIBSAGAR:  On the eve of the concluding function  of  the  yearlong
   Sui-ka-pha  Divas  celebration  from  February  2  at  Charaideo in
   Sibsagar, the security has  been  tightened  against  all  possible
   sabotage  and  extremists  threats in view of the visit of the Vice
   President of India, and many  dignitaries  from  several  Southeast
   Asian countries.   The district administration has declared a local
   holiday on February 2 for the celebrations.
   
   Meanwhile,  the  reception  committee of Sui-ka-pha Divas expressed
   serious concern over the removal of posters used for  publicity  of
   closing ceremony  by  some Army jawans.  The committee alleged that
   the publicity campaign  of  the  celebrations  has  been  seriously
   affected by the Army action.

7  TWENTY-FIVE MORE COUNTRY LIQUOR SHOPS IN SONITPUR     [S:30-JAN-99]
   -------------------------------------------------
   TEZPUR:   The  State  Government  decided  to  open 25 more country
   liquor shops in Sonitpur district, and invited application  seeking
   permits for  the  liquor shops.  Permits will be issued for Tezpur,
   Dhekiajuli, Rangapara, Biswanath Chariali and a  number  of  places
   near tea estates.  The term of permit will be from April 1, 1999 to
   March  31,  2002  and  the  Sonitpur  district  administration will
   receive the applications.  At present there are 50 IMFL (India-made
   Foreign Liquor) shops in the district.

8  STATUE OF KANAKLATA TO BE SHIFTED TO BORANGABARI      [S:30-JAN-99]
   ------------------------------------------------
   TEZPUR:  The State Government has decided to install the statues of
   martyrs -- Kanaklata and Mukunda Kakati -- in front of  the  Gohpur
   police  station  in  Sonitpur  district and the statue of Kanaklata
   existing there will be shifted to her place of birth, Borangabari.
   
   The total costs of the installation of the two statues, which  have
   been  designed  by  eminent  sculptor  Benu  Mishra, will cost Rs.1
   million, of which, Rs.500,000 has been contributed by the Centre.
   
9  NAVA THAKURIA SELECTED FOR JOURNALISTS' FELLOWSHIP    [S:30-JAN-99]
   --------------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   Guwahati-based journalist and a engineering graduate of
   Assam Engineering College, Nava Thakuria has been selected for  the
   Journalists' Fellowship Programme offered by the Centre for Science
   and Environment.    The  month-long fellowship is provided to study
   and report about two pioneering community based projects of  Madhya
   Pradesh Government.   Mr Thakuria is presently associated with Amar
   Asom, an Assamese daily from Guwahati.

______________________________[Mozz-BG]_________________________________
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