PCG for more CBMs, talks on track

Guwahati, June 6 (UNI) The Peoples Consultative Group (PCG), the ULFA -nominated civil society group, has demanded more confidence building measures before the start of the direct talks with the ULFA and government.

The PCG, which had a late night meeting here, however, decided to go ahead with their third meeting with the Centre date of which would be fixed by peace initiator Mamoni Raoysom Goswami in New Delhi tomorrow.

PCG member Ajit Kumar Bhuyan said those groups resolved there should be more confidence building measures both from the state and Central government. The PCG was specially perturbed over several unprovoked killings of ULFA men.

''We can understand a killing in a crossfire but 'unprovoked' killing cannot be accepted '' he said. Two rounds of peace talks had been held between government emissaries and an 11-member People's Consultative Group (PCG), a team of prominent civil society members, chosen by the ULFA to end the nearly three-decade-old insurgency.

The PCG had also resolved that Government should immediately release the five top ULFA leaders, still in custody. '' Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi himself has assured immediately after the swearing-in that he is looking into it, '' said Mr Bhuyan.

The PCG was also meeting the Chief Minister after his return from abroad regarding the release of the ULFA leader.

The ULFA, fighting for an ''independent state'' since 1979, in October last year nominated the group members to work out a mutually acceptable peace process leading to the formal declaration of a bilateral cease-fire between the outfit and the government.

''The ULFA has not committed any violent act during the April Assembly election. The government, however, is continuing military operations against the ULFA which is not in tune with the ongoing peace process, '' another PCG member Dilip Patgiri said.

''After two rounds of talks, the Centre is maintaining a go-slow attitude and it is time the government expedite the peace process and show its sincerity in resolving the problem,'' the PCG added.

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