'ULFA camps may shift to China from Bangladesh, Myanmar'

Guwahati, Oct 7 (ANI): In a startling revelation, Prabal Neogi, leader of the powerful separatist group in Assam, has said that the ultras may plan to set up camps in China consequent to their losing bases in Bangladesh and Myanamar.

He said this while interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of a symposium on Conflict Management and Transformation of Ethics Nationalist and Societal Conflicts held at Guwahati on Wednesday.

Neogi's disclosure is of great significance since he reportedly spent nearly ten years in Myanmar training insurgents for the cause of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).

"I don't know if the ULFA is able to create a direct link with the Chinese government but I think we can from our long experience that, as a long time dweller of Myanmar, there was no direct connection but there was an indirect connection... not only with the ULFA but with all the groups of the North East," said Neogi.

"It was under the Kachin Army, that the ULFA underwent training... in Burma and many camps of the Kachin Army are on the Chinese soil, and thus many of our cadres had stayed in China.

"Since then there is connection though not directly...But now since the cadres had to leave Bangladesh and the situation in Myanmar is also not good with political changes... and so may be the ULFA might establish camps in China...we cannot rule out such a situation totally," added Neogi, who had stayed for nearly a decade in Myanmar.

The ULFA is among more than two dozen armed rebel groups active in the north-eastern region, either fighting for independent homeland, or for more political autonomy.

In the last few years, Indian security forces stepped up its campaign against ULFA by capturing or killing many of its cadres.(ANI)