[Assam] This factual reporting of this news by The Sentinel (Assam ) is an encouraging development in contrast with many others which have been noted to be misrepresenting the facts.

Sat Aug 19 01:04:04 PDT 2006

*ULFA hails truce by Centre*

http://www.sentinelassam.com/      19 August 2006

By a Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Aug 18 : In a significant development the ULFA today welcomed the
Centre's decision to suspend Army operations against it. In a press
statement, ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa today said that the ULFA
"respected the Centre's decision to suspend Army operations and hoped that
the decision to stop hostilities would pave the way for talks as desired by
the people of Asom at this juncture." The ULFA leader reiterated his
organization's commitment towards fulfilling the long-standing aspirations
of peace as wished by the people of the State, and said that his
organization would appropriately reciprocate the positive gesture shown by
the Centre.
Rajkhowa further hoped that the fulfilment of the demand for releasing the
five top leaders of the outfit would pave the way for direct talks with the
Centre. He further warned "evil forces" not to disrupt the positive
developments in the peace process. Rajkhowa hoped that the decision of the
ULFA would bring about a conducive atmosphere for talks with the Government.
Former Chief Minister Prafulla Mahanta welcomed the decision of the banned
outfit by saying that after a long time the State is on the verge of
witnessing a peaceful solution to the 27-year-long problem. He also called
upon the Centre to grab the positive signals emanating from the ULFA. Former
minister Rekharani Das Boro has also welcomed the decision of the ULFA.

Ulfa agrees to ceasefire <javascript:clippopup(1906200);>
*[ 19 Aug, 2006 0155hrs IST** TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]*

RSS Feeds <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/rssfeeds/-2128936835.cms> | *SMS
NEWS to 8888 for latest updates*

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1906200.cms

GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI: Keen to engage the Centre in talks, Ulfa on Friday
announced a ceasefire. The announcement by Paresh Barua, chief of the
secessionist outfit, to the media came after the Centre turned down its
demand for the release of five of its key members in response to a mere
"commitment to non-violence" conveyed by Ulfa's emissaries to NSA M K
Narayanan earlier in the day.

In the meeting with two Ulfa emissaries, Indira Goswami and Rebati Phukan,
Narayanan had repeated the Centre's stand of June 22 that it would only deal
directly with Ulfa and that too only when they had given up violence.

The stance clearly worked with Barua, who is holed up in Bangladesh,
blinking within hours of the meeting with emissaries which was also attended
by home secretary V K Duggal and IB chief E S L Narasimhan.

Centre's response to the ceasefire will be worth watching because of the
perception that it has not been able to sort out its stance towards a group,
which has been stubbornly secessionist and has increasingly been targeting
innocent civilians it claims to represent.

Sources said that Phukan and Goswami delivered a "message from Ulfa" to the
Centre, details of which neither of the sides was willing to divulge. But it
is understood that it pertained to the modalities for talks and the
condition to release its leaders first.

They will meet again next week to thrash out details about the ceasefire, a
process which has been on since the meeting between the Ulfa-appointed
People's Consultative Group and the home ministry on June 22, when they, in
a statement, agreed upon the conditions for talks to start.

*Delhi**'s goodwill gesture melts outfit *

*ULFA CALLS TRUCE *

*http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060819/asp/frontpage/story_6629270.asp***

OUR BUREAU

Guwahati/New Delhi, Aug. 18: The outlawed Ulfa tonight announced "cessation
of hostilities" for the first time in its 27-year history, continuing the
remarkable recovery of a peace process that appeared to be doomed to fail
just about a week ago.

Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa telephoned newspaper offices to make the
announcement on a day when writer-mediator Mamoni Raisom Goswami and her
associate Rebati Phukan met national security adviser M.K. Narayanan and
Union home secretary V.K. Duggal in New Delhi to review the peace process.

Rajkhowa said the unilateral ceasefire was a logical response to Delhi's
"goodwill gesture" of suspending army operations in Assam for 10 days.
Ironically, the order for suspension of operations from Sunday came in the
midst of a wave of pre-Independence Day attacks by Ulfa militants on
security forces and soft targets.

The Ulfa chairman said his organisation now expected Delhi to pave the way
for its direct participation in the peace talks by releasing five jailed
militant leaders.

Earlier in the day, Goswami and Phukan emerged from Narayanan's office
looking buoyant and sounding confident about where the peace process was
headed. They claimed to have received "signals" from the national security
adviser and the home secretary that Delhi would free five jailed Ulfa
leaders soon to facilitate direct talks with the outfit.

Duggal said the 20-minute discussion was "on positive lines" but did not
give details. He only confirmed that another meeting was slated for Tuesday.

Left to do all the talking, Phukan said the modalities for the release of
Ulfa leaders would be finalised in the next meeting. "We got some signals
that they (jailed Ulfa leaders) may be released," he added.

Today's meeting, Phukan pointed out, was essentially a review of what was
discussed during the third round of parleys between the Ulfa-constituted
People's Consultative Group and Delhi. Duggal had indicated then that the
release of jailed Ulfa leaders would depend on the banned militant group's
response to appeals to shun violence.

Goswami claimed Ulfa was now "committed to non-violence", which is why it
had disbanded its notorious 28th battalion. She said the fact that there was
no violence on Independence Day proved the outfit's sincerity.

On whether Narayanan and Duggal clearly mentioned that five jailed Ulfa
leaders would be freed soon, the writer said they assured her and Phukan
that "everything will be looked into with lots of sympathy".

Goswami denied that the talks were deadlocked, quoting from the minutes of
the meeting to drive home the point that Delhi was indeed contemplating the
release of the jailed militants, as demanded by Ulfa.

Narayanan's presence at the meeting was one of the reasons for the PCG
functionaries' optimism. Goswami and Phukan, a childhood friend of Ulfa
commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, had expected only Duggal to meet them.

Asked if the period of suspension of operations by the government was likely
to be extended, Goswami said the picture would be clearer by Tuesday. But
with Ulfa taking the big step today itself, the announcement could come
sooner.

Ulfa was formed in 1979 in the Upper Assam town of Sivasagar by a group of
men led by Rajkhowa and Paresh Barua. It has since been engaged in an armed
campaign to create a "sovereign" Assam.

*Ulfa calls truce*

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=126814

Press Trust of India
GUWAHATI, Aug. 18: The banned United Liberation Front of India today
announced a "cessation of hostilities" for the first time in its 27-year-old
armed campaign for a separate homeland.
In an e-mailed message to the media here, Ulfa "chairman" Arabindo Rajkhowa
said the organisation "respected the Centre's decision to suspend army
operations and as a reciprocal gesture, has announced (the) cessation of
hostilities".
The Centre, on Sunday, had temporarily suspended Army operations against
Ulfa in Assam, apparently to pave the way for direct talks with the outlawed
group.
Rajkhowa's e-mail expressed the hope that Ulfa's decision would pave the way
for direct talks with the Centre. He also warned "evil forces" against
taking advantage of the "ceasefire" to malign his organisation. Rajkhowa
said the Ulfa's decision to stop hostilities to facilitate talks was a
reflection of the popular mood in Assam.
Earlier in New Delhi, the Centre today held discussions with two mediators
negotiating on behalf of the Ulfa for direct talks with the outlawed group.
Emerging from the talks chaired by national security advisor Mr MK
Narayanan, Union home secretary Mr VK Duggal told reporters: "It was a good
meeting. It was positive and we have decided to meet again after a few
days." The two mediators ~ noted writer Indira Goswami and Ms Rebati Phukan
~ said that the two sides reviewed progress made after the last meeting on
22 June between the Ulfa-nominated People's Consultative Group and the
Centre. Asked about the Centre's response to the Ulfa's demand for the
release of five jailed leaders, Goswami said: "We are hopeful."

<http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=126814>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.assamnet.org/pipermail/assam-assamnet.org/attachments/20060819/83f71097/attachment.htm>