1 TRANSLATION OF THE PROCEEDINGS AND ... - APFA News

The continued presence of the militants in the country had caused unbearable
concern to everyone, threatening the very existence of the Bhutanese people in
the land of their forefathers. The presence of armed foreign militants is a threat
to the security and sovereignty of any country, especially to a small country like
Bhutan, he said. It posed a real danger of armed conflict between the armed
forces of Bhutan and the militants. If no action is taken to remove the militants
it could also affect Indo-Bhutan relations and Bhutan could even become a
battleground between the India army and the militants.
The Home Minister pointed out that although the camps established by the
militants are in a few south-eastern Dzongkhags, their presence is a threat to all
the 20 Dzongkhags just as pain in one limb affects the rest of the body.
The problem of the ULFA and Bodo militants is affecting trade and economic
activities in the country, particularly in 12 of the 20 Dzongkhags. It could also
result in death and injury to hundreds and thousands of Bhutanese in the armed
forces and the civilian population.
The Home Minister explained that the ULFA were fighting to establish an
independent state of Assam. The Bodos were people across the Indo-Bhutan
border in Assam with two rival organizations:
i. The Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) whose objective is to establish a
Bodoland State within the Indian union. Although the BLT frequently
intrude inside Bhutanese territory they do not have camps inside Bhutan.
ii. The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) whose objective is
to establish an independent state of Bodoland. The NDFB militants
have established camps inside Bhutanese territory.
68