Centre will not tolerate ceasefire violation : Kiren Rijiju

Itanagar, April 7: Sending out a strong message to insurgent groups active in the North East, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said the Centre will not tolerate any violation of ceasefire agreement.

"If any group violates ceasefire agreement, action will be taken against them. No group can operate outside the ceasefire operation area," Rijiju said replying to questions by the media on the ambush of an army convoy by suspected NSCN in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh on April 2 last in which three jawans were killed.

NSCN factions, he said, cannot operate in the territory of Arunachal Pradesh which is against the ceasefire agreement.

"The group involved in the Tirap ambush has fled to Myanmar and the MHA is chalking out strategies to counter such incidents," he said adding action would be taken against those involved in it.

"If they continue to violate ceasefire agreement, there will be repercussion from our side too," he said.

Responding to a question on peace talks with the insurgent outfits of the region, Rijiju emphatically said no talks were possible until the groups gave up violence and surrendered.

"They will have to surrender with arms and come to the negotiation table. We will provide suitable rehabilitation package for them and initiate dialogues," he said.

Moreover there would be no more talks on the political level for which the government had appointed interlocutors to initiate dialogues with the ultra groups of the region.

"We have already directed the interlocutors to expedite the talk process for a permanent solution to bring peace into the region," he added.

Ceasefire between the Centre and NSCN (IM) was signed for the first time in July 1997 and has been extended several times till July 2007 when it was extended indefinitely.

The ceasefire with Mynamar-based NSCN(K) came into being in 2001 but the outfit had recently abrogated it.

PTI