Meghalaya examining GNLA activities ahead of ban
July 21st, 2011 - 2:39 pm ICT by IANSShillong, July 21 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma Thursday said the government was examining the activities of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) before declaring it an outlawed group.
“We are still examining their (GNLA) activities and threats before imposing a ban on them. Everything is under the scanner,” Sangma said as he warned politicians sympathising with the outfit.
“It will be disastrous for those (politicians) who are sympathisers and are hand-in-glove. I want to send a clear message that the government has access to all these inputs,” he said.
The GNLA, which is headed by police officer-turned outlaw Champion R. Sangma, has unleashed a reign of terror in the three impoverished districts of Garo Hills in western part of Meghalaya.
On Sunday, the tribal Garo outfit had threatened to bomb commercial places across Meghalaya if the government did not withdraw central forces from the Garo Hills region and stop the ongoing offensive crackdown.
The threat came after personnel of the Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and Border Security Force (BSF) were deployed in the Garo Hills region.
Champion, who claims to be fighting for a ’sovereign Garoland’ in the western area of Meghalaya, has been camping in Bangladesh for several months in search of support.
The outfit has also forged an alliance with the Bangladesh-based rebel group, A’chik Special Dragon Party.
“All necessary steps have been taken to neutralise these activities, and we have also asked the police to maintain better coordination with the local population to tackle them,” Sangma said.
“All citizens must support the government in the fight against such forces, which are against the spirit of civilised democracy and development of the state,” Sangma added.
The GNLA, one of the five Garo rebel groups, is fighting for a sovereign Garoland. It has forged an operational alliance with the United Liberation Front of Asom and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland.
More than 10 people, including security personnel, have been killed in the Garo Hills during the last one year by GNLA rebels.
The outfit had earlier slapped extortion demands ranging from Rs.5 lakh to Rs.1 crore on government officials, ministers, legislators and businessmen.
The Garo Hills region is being used as a safe haven by various northeast-based militant groups.
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- Top rebel leader in Bangladesh, say Meghalaya Police - Jul 07, 2011
- Determined to end Garo terror outfit: Chidambaram - Feb 19, 2012
- Rebels free Meghalaya official after 34 days - Dec 24, 2011
- Meghalaya launches operation to rescue abducted official - Nov 22, 2011
- Rebel group asks Assam-based groups to leave Meghalaya - Aug 15, 2011
- Garo militants abduct 2 Meghalaya engineers - Jan 25, 2012
- Kidnapped engineers untraced, GNLA chief escapes (Lead) - Jan 27, 2012
- Rebel shutdown hits life in Meghalaya - Sep 12, 2011
- Sangma asks Garo rebels to surrender arms - Feb 08, 2012
- Meghalaya rebels set conditions for releasing official - Nov 23, 2011
- Village chief shot at in Meghalaya - Aug 05, 2011
- Centre unlikely to accede to Garoland, says G.K. Pillai - Feb 14, 2012
Tags: border security force, bsf, chief minister, cobra, combat battalion, crackdown, democracy and development, garo hills, hand in glove, national liberation army, necessary steps, outlaw, police officer, rebel group, rebel groups, region champion, reign of terror, shillong, united liberation front, united liberation front of asom