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Shimrey�s arrest may impact NSCN peace talks

By R Dutta Choudhury - 15 Sep 2010 12:00 AM GMT

GUWAHATI, Oct 18 � Recent arrest of senior National Socialist Council of Nagalim (I-M), Anthony Shimrey by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with gun running has created a fresh controversy as the outfit is under ceasefire agreement with the Government of India since 1997. However, highly placed security sources said that it is too early to say whether the arrest of the NSCN leader would have any impact on the ongoing peace talks with the outfit.

Highly placed sources told The Assam Tribune that the security agencies were getting reports of involvement of Shimrey, the head of the Foreign Affairs department of the NSCN (I-M) in gun running for a long time and the NIA recently arrested him on charges of waging war against the nation. Though officially it was shown that the NSCN leader was arrested in Bihar-Nepal border, actually he was picked up in the neighbouring country and handed over to India.

Sources revealed that Shimrey was picked up by security forces of Nepal in Kathmandu immediately after his arrival from Bangkok and later he was handed over to India. He is now in the custody of the NIA.

Giving an account of the charges against Shimrey, sources said that he was involved in gun running for a long time and there were

confirmed reports that he frequently visited China to procure weapons from the clandestine arms dealers. Sources revealed that the Chinese army, as a part of its modernization drive, dumped huge number of weapons and different militant groups of India are now using those weapons. Sources said that Shimrey was one of those involved in procuring such weapons and those were brought to Chittagong or Coxes Bazar in Bangladesh to be brought into India. There were also reports that of late, the militants started bringing in weapons through Myanmar as security measures in Bangladesh have been tightened.

Despite remaining under ceasefire agreement with the Government, the NSCN is still procuring weapons from the clandestine markets and it is believed that the outfit sold weapons to different other militant groups of North East including ULFA, NDFB, ANVC, HNLC as well as to other smaller militant outfits. With the ties between the NSCN and Maoist rebel groups coming to light, it is suspected that the NSCN also provided weapons to the Maoists, who have started using sophisticated weapons in recent times, but sources admitted that the security agencies are yet to get conclusive evidence in this regard.

Sources also said that though the ULFA is maintaining close links with the NSCN(K), Shimrey was occasionally in touch with ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, who is also maintaining close with China for years.