Paresh Barua-led ULFA (I) is carrying out 'anti-India activities' from China's Yunnan: MHA

Guwahati: The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA), in an affidavit before the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal in Guwahati, has officially attested for the first time that the Paresh Baruah-led faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ILFA-I) is carrying out its activities from China. The Barua-led ULFA (I) is currently based in Ruili in Yunnan Province from where it is carrying out its anti-India activities, the Centre said.

The Centre's affidavit has come as a surprise, as only Baruah was believed to be in Ruili situated in the southern part of China along the Myanmar border. The group's operational base and training camps of the cadres were believed to be in the Sagaing division of Myanmar.

Meanwhile, the Assam government has submitted in an affidavit to the same tribunal that as a result of the Myanmar army's operations against Indian insurgent camps in Takga from January 28, 2019, the "Lungmark, Taka and Nilgiri camps of ULFA (I) suffered a big jolt. Several cadres also deserted the outfit."

Assam government has also submitted a list of eight locations in the Sagaing division where the banned outfit has set up its operational camps with the help of the NSCN (K).

The tribunal in Guwahati has also been informed by the Assam government that the ULFA (I) is planning to utilize the Information & Technology (IT) expertise of some of its new recruits for cyber-related technical work in the Darknet, which is an emerging threat for law-enforcement agencies.

The submission by a representative of MHA and Assam home department was made before the tribunal headed by Justice Prasanta Kumar Deka of Gauhati High Court for adjudicating whether or not there was sufficient cause for declaring the ULFA-I as "unlawful" under the UA (P) Act.

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