GUWAHATI, Dec 28 � Leader of the hardline faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Paresh Baruah, has turning out to be the bridge between China and the militant groups of the North East region as he has been maintaining his links in China for a long time.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that Baruah has been maintaining close links in China for a long time and he even visits that country frequently. Sources said that according to information available, Baruah, who spends most of his time in Ruili in Myanmar-China border, frequently sneaks into China to make phone calls and to access internet as some of his calls were traced back to China in recent times.
Sources said that Baruah recently left his Ruili base for a few days as the security agencies managed to intercept a conversation in which the ULFA leader told his close aides that he would be out of the base for a few days. Though the security agencies are not aware as to where Baruah has gone, they believe that the ULFA leader might have gone to China.
Security sources said that Baruah has been talking to a lady , who spoke English with a �Chinese accent� frequently in the last few weeks. However, sources admitted that Baruah is not maintaining link with any senior Chinese official and it is believed that he has contacts with a few middle level officers of the Chinese Army.
On reports of arrests of senior ULFA leader Jiban Moran in Myanmar, sources said that the ULFA leader who is a close aide of Paresh Baruah, was quiet for a few days , which led to the speculations of his arrest in Myanmar. But Moran has become active again and he has started sending instructions to the cadres of the outfit again, which proved that he has not been arrested.
Sources said that according to information available, at least 60 new recruits of the hardline faction of the ULFA are now undergoing training in the bases of the outfit in Myanmar. Recently two cadres tried to escape from the camp with arms and ammunition, but one of them was apprehended and is held captive in a camp of the NSCN (K). The whereabouts of the other is not yet known.
Meanwhile, the ULFA has sent a group of its members to Assam to indulge in acts of violence in the run up to the Republic Day celebrations. Sources said that at least 10 members of the outfit are in Majuli river island and nearby places, one group is staying in the areas bordering Sivasagar and Mon district of Nagaland and the other is in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The police and security forces engaged in counter insurgency operations have already been alerted about the movement of the militants, sources added.
On the recent killing of three youths by the Army in Namsai reserve forest of Arunachal Pradesh, sources said that the police does not have any record of involvement of the youths with the activities of the ULFA. However, one of the youths killed was arrested in 2008 in connection with a criminal case but there were no criminal record against the other two.
