The Hindu : India, Bhutan share concerns over militant camps

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 06, 2002

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National

India, Bhutan share concerns over militant camps

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI Aug. 5 . The External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, has discussed the issue of camps belonging to India-based militant groups operating in Bhutan, during his meetings in the kingdom today.

Mr. Sinha had a two-hour meeting with the King of Bhutan.

Official sources said four camps belonging to an India-based militant outfit had been shut down by the Nepalese authorities. The Bhutanese National Assembly had resolved that the Royal Government should have one more round of discussions with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in a bid to peacefully close down the camps.

``We share the same concerns on the camps,'' the sources said when asked whether India had asked Bhutan to "do more'' as far as closing down the camps was concerned.

Apart from ULFA, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the West Bengal-based Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) were reported to have camps in Bhutanese territory. They said that India and Bhutan were "closely consulting each other'' on the issue of dealing with militant camps on Bhutanese soil. It was stressed that India had a "very special relationship'' with Bhutan which was exemplified by the visit of Mr. Sinha to Thimpu. Each side recognises the sensitivities of the other, the sources maintained.

Mr. Sinha, who referred to the need to address the issue of poverty and deprivation in South Asia, was told by his Bhutanese interlocutors that the progress and development of India would ensure the development of the whole of South Asia.

Referring to the extensive economic cooperation between Bhutan and India, the sources said energy was one of the major focus areas.

The 330 MW Chuka hydel project was in operation while the 60 MW Kurichu project had just been completed. The 1,020 MW Thula hydel project was under construction, the sources said. They further added that India had also gifted a cement plant to Bhutan. While India was importing electricity, cement, timber, wood products, oranges and apples from Bhutan, it was exporting petroleum products, rice and automobiles, among other things, to Thimpu.

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