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INDIA MYANMAR UWSA PARESH BARUAH THE ARMS TRADE

'Paresh doing flourishing arms business from Myanmar'

TNN Sep 30, 2011, 08.53AM IST http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ GUWAHATI: Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah may have invested millions of dollars in Bangladesh, but Indian security and intelligence agencies are now concentrating on the fugitive rebel leader's business interests in the arms trade he runs from Myanmar. "According to reports, Baruah has established a place for himself in the trade, covering the South-east Asian region and his main supplier is the United Wa State Army of northern Shan state of Myanmar bordering Thailand and China," a source said. "Baruah purchases arms, particularly Chinese-made, which are either locally manufactured under franchise by the Wa State Army or part of the lot the PLA has discarded while overhauling its armoury. Baruah then supplies them to Indian militant outfits," a source said. He added, "We have information that Baruah visited Ruili town in China's Yunan Province, which is very close to the border with Myanmar at least twice a year, for arms dealings," the official said. Baruah is now being seen not just as a militant leader but also as a dealer of small and light arms. Baruah is believed to be dispatching his consignments to Maoists through Nepal which would be then pushed into India through the porous border. Earlier, illegal arms for militants of the region used to come from several South-east Asain countries through the Cox's Bazaar and Syllhet. Democracy and Human Rights Without Borders ( ) 1

Burmese Polaris Burmese Library Collection The Fight For Freedom in Burma Baruah's shopping bag includes the Chinese versions of Russian 7.62 mm AK47, AK56 and AK81 series of automatic weapons, NDM-86s, a version of Drugnov sniper rifle, besides pistols. The Chinese manufacturer is an important military supplier but does not have any formal ties with the PLA. In 2003 and 2004, the US government had imposed sanctions on this manufacturer for allegedly supplying missile technology to Iran, sources said. Baruah is currently facing an arrest warrant issued by a court of Chittagong judicial magistrate in Bangladesh for his involvement in an arms smuggling case in 2004. Bangladesh authorities made one of the biggest arms haul in 2004 when they seized 4,930 types of firearms, 27,020 grenades, 840 rocket launchers, 300 accessories of rocket launchers, 2,000 grenade-launching tubes, 6,392 magazines and 11,40,520 bullets. All these weapons were reportedly purchased from China with the help of an UAE-based firm belonging to a Pakistani businessman and were then brought to the Chittagong Port, the biggest harbour in Bangladesh.

Paresh Baruah's the lone arms dealer in northeast

Prabin Kalita, TNN Jan 30, 2011, 01.39pm IST GUWAHATI: Fugitive Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah is now the sole arms dealer in the northeast and he reportedly gets his supplies for free from China's state-owned China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO). His existing clients are in Assam and Tripura and he has been also contacted by the Maoists. Sources in police told TOI that interrogation of several top leaders of various militant outfits in the region indicate that Baruah is trying to take over the space (of an arms dealer) left vacant by NSCN-IM's Anthony Shimrey, who was arrested at Kathmandu airport recently. "We have interrogated several top NDFB leaders who were arrested recently. They revealed that Baruah has cheated on them by not delivering arms ever after taking about Rs 6 crore from them," a source said. While Shimrey was handling a bigger market with supplies from both NORINCO and Myanmar, Baruah has set up his market in areas closer to Bangladesh "because of 2

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Burmese Polaris Burmese Library Collection The Fight For Freedom in Burma the close proximity, which he once used to enjoy, to Bangladesh political leaders and its national security officials". "Records reveal that Baruah had purchased arms and ammunition for Ulfa between 1997 and 2002 when the outfit had a base in Bhutan. Since then, he started exploring the bigger international market on his own," the source said. Security and intelligence agencies, however, do not have much details about Baruah's trade because "he does his dealings on his own without involving any middlemen or any other member of his outfit". A security official said: " What we know is that Baruah has sold weapons and ammunition to militant outfits like All Tripura Tiger Force, National Liberation Front of Tripura and NDFB. He has been also approached by Maoists. But there are no reports that confirm that he has sold arms to them." China's arms link with Ulfa became public in 2004 when two truck-loads of consignment ordered by Baruah were seized at the Chittagong port in Bangladesh. The seized arms, including assault rifles, RPGs, T-85 sub-machine guns, grenades and ammunition, have been found to have originated Norinco.

Paresh Baruah buying Chinese arms for Maoists: Ulfa duo

TNN Nov 19, 2009, 09.14pm IST GUWAHATI: A startling revelation by two top Ulfa leaders, who are now in police custody, has corroborated what Union home secretary G K Pillai had hinted about two weeks ago in New Delhi. Ulfa "foreign secretary" Sashadhar Choudhury and "finance secretary" Chitrabon Hazarika have told interrogators from the Special Operation Unit of Assam Police that their "commander-in-chief", Paresh Baruah, is not only procuring arms from Chinese manufacturers for Ulfa but is also selling them to National Democratic Front of Boroland, National Libertaion Front of Tripura, All Tripura Tiger Force and, more Democracy and Human Rights Without Borders ( ) 3

Burmese Polaris Burmese Library Collection The Fight For Freedom in Burma importantly, to Maoists operating outside the North-East. On November 8, Pillai had said, "Chinese are big smugglers... suppliers of small arms. I am sure that the Maoists also get them." With Bangladesh under Sheikh Hasina mounting pressure on the outfit, Ulfa is desperately seeking shelter in China. Baruah has reportedly visited Yunnan province there thrice in the past two years. Choudhury and Hazarika said though the Chinese have not yet agreed to provide shelter, weapons have been obtained from suppliers based in that country. Sources said Baruah has been acquiring weapons from a manufacturing unit headquartered in Beijing since 2007. This unit has been selling mostly small arms including the Chinese versions of AK-47s, AK-56s and AK-81s, NDM-86s, a version of Drugnov sniper rifles, and pistols. The Ulfa "commander-in-chief" faces charges of smuggling weapons into

Bangladesh. He had reportedly fled the neighbouring country sometime this April to one of Ulfa's camps in Myanmar after Bangladesh Police registered a case against him following the recovery of arms from the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Company Limited (CUFL) in April, 2004. The haul considered the largest in the South Asian nation included 4,930 types of firearms, 27,020 grenades, 840 rocket launchers, 300 accessories of rocket launchers, 2,000 grenade launching tubes, 6,392 magazines and 11,40,520 bullets. All this had reportedly been purchased from China with the help of a UAE-based firm run by a Pakistani businessman and brought to Chittagong, the biggest Bangladeshi port. Sources said Baruah had himself supervised the off-loading 10 truck-load of arms and ammunition meant for Ulfa. Bangladesh Police had later arrested three top exintelligence officials of that country in connection with the arms seizure.

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Myanmar to help India catch ULFA chief Paresh Baruah

PTI Jan 24, 2010, 10.18am IST NEW DELHI: Myanmar's ruling junta plans to launch coordinated operations with India to flush out Northeast militants in its territories and has promised to help track down elusive ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah. The assurance to New Delhi was given at a three-day home secretary-level talks between the two countries which concluded in Myanmar capital Nay Pay Taw on Thursday. "Security forces of India and Myanmar will conduct coordinated operation in their respective territories in the next two-three months. The objective of the operation is that no militant can escape to the other side after facing heat in one side," a home ministry official said. Major insurgent groups in the Northeast like NSCN and ULFA have over two dozen camps and training centres along both sides of 1,650 km long India-Myanmar border, which touches Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah is also believed to have been hiding in the Kachin area of Myanmar. "We have conveyed to the Myanmar delegation that we have information that Paresh Baruah is hiding in their territory and they assured us to track him down if found in their territory," the official said. The security forces of both India and Myanmar will also intensify their vigil along the border to check smuggling of arms, narcotic drugs and other goods. The Indian delegation, headed by union home secretary G K Pillai, had held extensive discussions with the Myanmar contingent led by Brigadier General Phone Swe on issues like border security, cross-border movement of militants, border trade and cross-border projects. Democracy and Human Rights Without Borders ( ) 5

Burmese Polaris Burmese Library Collection The Fight For Freedom in Burma "The meeting was very positive as Myanmar has assured us to address all our security concern and promised us to carry forward the cordial relations between the two countries," the official said.

India will ask Myanmar to launch intensive intensive search for Paresh Baruah
TNN Jan 19, 2010, 02.06am IST NEW DELHI: India will ask Myanmar to launch a thorough search in its Kachin province area where ULFA `commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah is hiding. It will also seek the neighbouring country's help in flushing out other north-east insurgents from its territory. The matter along with the issue of smuggling of Chinese arms through Myanmar will come up for discussion during three-day home secretary-level talks between the two countries, beginning in Nay Pay Taw on Tuesday. Besides ULFA, NSCN(I-M), NSCN(K), PLA and UNLF too have their camps within Myanmar territory. While ULFA has camps in the Kachin province bordering China, the other outfits have been operating from areas bordering India. The 10-member Indian delegation for the talks will be led by Union home secretary G K Pillai. Sources in the home ministry said that besides talks on action against Indian insurgents hiding there and smuggling of Chinese arms through Myanmar, the Indian side will also pitch for setting up a number of `police liaison posts' at the border for constant infomation sharing between the two countries over criminals and smugglers. The posts will provide a platform of daily interaction and joint interrogation of persons arrested for drugs/arms smuggling and for insurgency related activities. Issues like border security, smuggling of narcotic drugs, effective border management and border trade will also be discussed during the talks. Democracy and Human Rights Without Borders ( ) 6

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Paresh Baruah's men take shelter in Myanmar's jungles to evade army

TNN Sep 16, 2011, 08.11am IST GUWAHATI: Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah has reportedly pulled out his men from the camps in Myanmar and pushed them into the jungles as the neighbouring country's army continues to maintain a position close to the unified camp at Taga, also called Eastern Nagaland by the NSCN(K). Security sources said the Myanmar army has not fired at or destroyed the camps of the Indian militants and confirmed that the Ulfa leader has not been hurt as reported earlier. "The Myanmar army has not launched any operation so far and is only carrying out area domination exercises. They have done this in the past, too, with their symbolic presence close to the unified camp of the Indian militant groups. The Myanmar army has full knowledge of the presence of the militants' camps," a top security source told TOI. The source added, "The militants have deserted their camps and have taken shelter inside the jungles as the Myanmar army is holding its position there for a week now. However, they are not making any offensives." Security agencies also intercepted Paresh Baruah's calls made from his satellite phone to his cadres in the state, giving them instructions related to collection of extortion money. "He has made several calls from his sat phone in the past 24 hours. Though the conversations are mostly cryptic, some parts have been deciphered as instructions related to extortion," the source said. However, Indian agencies are not sure whether Baruah is still holed up in Myanmar or has traveled to the neighbouring Yunan province in China.

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Burmese Polaris Burmese Library Collection The Fight For Freedom in Burma "Paresh Baruah ses a satellite phone and so the place of origin cannot be determined correctly. But, what we have gathered from the nature of their telephonic conversations is that is the no harm has come to the militants from the Myanmar army," the source said. Ulfa has about 80 to 90 members at the unified camp at Taga and about a dozen in three other smaller camps called the Arakan base, Naga base and the 28{+t} {+h} battalion headquarters in the neighbouring country The unified camp also houses members of the NSCN(K) and Manipur outfits PLA, UNLF, PREPAK and KYKL.

Paresh Baruah escaped in Bangla: BSF

Manosh Das, TNN Sep 23, 2007, 12.25am IST SHILLONG: A top BSF officer on Saturday claimed that Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah escaped from custody of a human rights group after he was arrested by Bangladesh police recently. "Bangladeshi authorities handed over Baruah to a human rights group that filed a PIL against his detention. The Ulfa leader later managed to flee from the group's custody. Bangaldesh police are searching for him," BSF director-general Ashis Kumar Mitra said. "Bangladesh's interim government has acknowledged the presence of Baruah," he claimed. Mitra claimed that Bangladesh's interim government was "more sincere in having a good relationship with India". Making an oblique reference to the presence of militant camps in there, he said, "They have not addressed all our concerns. But, they agree that there are concerns." The BSF DG said terror outfits backed by Pakistan's ISI had been gradually shifting their focus to the eastern region, which is evident from the involvement of the Bangladesh-based HuJI in recent bomb blasts. He said, "Though concrete evidence is yet to be established, it is beyond doubt that the ISI-backed HuJI was responsible for the blasts and it is taking advantage of the porous borders with Bangladesh." Democracy and Human Rights Without Borders ( ) 8

Burmese Polaris Burmese Library Collection The Fight For Freedom in Burma

Paresh Baruah's men take shelter in Myanmar's jungles to evade army

TNN Sep 16, 2011, 08.11am IST GUWAHATI: Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah has reportedly pulled out his men from the camps in Myanmar and pushed them into the jungles as the neighbouring country's army continues to maintain a position close to the unified camp at Taga, also called Eastern Nagaland by the NSCN(K). Security sources said the Myanmar army has not fired at or destroyed the camps of the Indian militants and confirmed that the Ulfa leader has not been hurt as reported earlier. "The Myanmar army has not launched any operation so far and is only carrying out area domination exercises. They have done this in the past, too, with their symbolic presence close to the unified camp of the Indian militant groups. The Myanmar army has full knowledge of the presence of the militants' camps," a top security source told TOI. The source added, "The militants have deserted their camps and have taken shelter inside the jungles as the Myanmar army is holding its position there for a week now. However, they are not making any offensives." Security agencies also intercepted Paresh Baruah's calls made from his satellite phone to his cadres in the state, giving them instructions related to collection of extortion money. "He has made several calls from his sat phone in the past 24 hours. Though the conversations are mostly cryptic, some parts have been deciphered as instructions related to extortion," the source said. However, Indian agencies are not sure whether Baruah is still holed up in Myanmar or has traveled to the neighbouring Yunan province in China.

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Burmese Polaris Burmese Library Collection The Fight For Freedom in Burma "Paresh Baruah ses a satellite phone and so the place of origin cannot be determined correctly. But, what we have gathered from the nature of their telephonic conversations is that is the no harm has come to the militants from the Myanmar army," the source said. Ulfa has about 80 to 90 members at the unified camp at Taga and about a dozen in three other smaller camps called the Arakan base, Naga base and the 28{+t} {+h} battalion headquarters in the neighbouring country The unified camp also houses members of the NSCN(K) and Manipur outfits PLA, UNLF, PREPAK and KYKL.

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