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 | | From: | surreal_ravi | | Subject: | Naxals withdraw from peace talks in Andhra | | Date: | 17 Jan 2005 09:07:54 -0800 |
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 | Naxals withdraw from peace talks in Andhra
Press Trust of India
Hyderabad, January 17, 2005|19:19 IST
In a dramatic development, Naxalite groups in Andhra Pradesh said on
Monday that they were withdrawing from the peace talks accusing the
Congress government of continuing with 'fake police encounters' in the
state.
The announcement came soon after the state cabinet decided to go ahead
with second round of peace talks.
"It is clear that the government is bent upon suppressing the
revolutionary movement by eliminating our cadre in fake encounters.
After realising this conspiracy, we have decided to withdraw from
talks," the CPI (Maoist) secretary Ramakrishna and CPI (ML-Janasakthi
group) leader Amar and other leaders of extremist outfits said in a
statement in Hyderabad.
The statement by the Naxal groups came shortly after the Cabinet
decided to carry forward the dialogue process despite the recent spurt
in violence and police encounters.
Apparently adopting a carrot-and-stick approach, the Cabinet, while
asserting that the peace talks would continue, felt that Naxalites
should desist from carrying arms and resorting to extortions.
"The Cabinet unanimously felt that the talks process should be
continued. But the government will not hesitate to take any measures
to maintain law and order," the state Information Minister Mohammad
Ali Shabbir told reporters.
Asked when the second round of talks would be held he said, "It will
be decided by the Home Minister after consulting the mediators."
Asked what action plan the government has in mind to reduce the
escalating tensions, the minister said several measures had been
initiated to create congenial atmosphere for talks including abolition
of the policy of fixing rewards on the heads of Naxalite leaders and
lifting ban on People's War.
"The government has also made it clear that there will be no combing
operations in forest areas. But, if Naxalites move around villages
with weapons and organise people's courts, the police will have to do
its duty," he said.
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| | From: | Torpedo | | Subject: | Re: Naxals withdraw from peace talks in Andhra | | Date: | Tue, 18 Jan 2005 07:07:43 +1100 |
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| http://www.dawn.com/2005/01/17/top1.htm
Cabinet to discuss Sui situation today
By Ahmed Hassan and Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, Jan 16: A special meeting of the federal cabinet will be held on
Monday to discuss the Balochistan situation in the wake of the provincial
cabinet's request for help to maintain security in Sui and the Dera Bugti
area.
The meeting is likely to be presided over by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz,
sources said. They said that the federal government might decide against
launching a military operation, but resolve to take firm steps to beef up
security in and around gas and oil installations in the province.
The cabinet, the sources said, would discuss the ongoing development
projects in Balochistan and might take fresh initiatives to woo Baloch
nationalists.
The Balochistan cabinet had decided on Friday to formally request the
federal government to deploy federal forces to restore order in the Dera
Bugti and Sui areas.
An all-party conference has been called by an alliance of four nationalist
parties of Balochistan on Jan 18 to discuss the situation in view of its
belief that a military action is imminent. The ARD and the MMA have been
invited to the conference.
The cabinet meeting is expected to lay down parameters of the proposed
federal initiatives. The cabinet would be briefed by Balochistan Governor
Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf on the security
situation in the province.
The PML's secretary-general and head of a sub-committee of the parliamentary
committee on Balochistan is expected to provide a detailed report along with
proposals to defuse the situation.
The cabinet is also expected to decide about how to handle the issue through
political dialogue with the Baloch nationalists. The cabinet may be briefed
on the findings of the parliamentary committee on Balochistan, which is
headed by PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, and its sub-committees
headed by Mushahid Hussain and Wasim Sajjad.
TROOP DEPLOYMENT: Meanwhile, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao told
Dawn that the federal government was considering permanent posting of army
troops in Sui for the protection of gas installations
"The deployment of troops is not being done for launching any crackdown on
any party or group, but as part of protective measures to avoid damage to
gas installations in future," he said.
Mr Sherpao said besides the army, personnel of Frontier Corps would also be
deployed in Sui on permanent basis to foil any attack on gas installations
in future. Responding to a question about the possibility of any military
action against those involved in the attacks on gas plants and pipelines, he
said no such operation was in the offing.
The minister said that a protective fencing around gas installations would
be erected, while two fences would be established around the plant. He said
due to fear and insecurity, engineers and other staff were hesitant to
undertake repair work of the damaged installations, causing further delay in
the restoration of gas supply to different parts of the country.
"The deployment of army and the FC is also necessary for the workers'
protection," the minister added. Responding to a question about the present
situation in the trouble-hit areas, Mr Sherpao said the situation was under
control and no further untoward incident had taken place there.
However, he added that two rockets were fired on gas installations on
Saturday which could not hit the target. These rockets were fired from a
distance of 8-10 kilometres from the gas plant. There was no further attack
since the main attack of Jan 11, he said.
Attacks on Sui gas installations started on Jan 7 and continued till Jan 11
in which three personnel of Defence Security Guards, two guards of Frontier
Corps and four civilians died.
"surreal_ravi" wrote in message
news:8b6beb99.0501170907.2ebfc783@posting.google.com...
> Naxals withdraw from peace talks in Andhra
>
> Press Trust of India
>
> Hyderabad, January 17, 2005|19:19 IST
>
> In a dramatic development, Naxalite groups in Andhra Pradesh said on
> Monday that they were withdrawing from the peace talks accusing the
> Congress government of continuing with 'fake police encounters' in the
> state.
>
> The announcement came soon after the state cabinet decided to go ahead
> with second round of peace talks.
>
> "It is clear that the government is bent upon suppressing the
> revolutionary movement by eliminating our cadre in fake encounters.
> After realising this conspiracy, we have decided to withdraw from
> talks," the CPI (Maoist) secretary Ramakrishna and CPI (ML-Janasakthi
> group) leader Amar and other leaders of extremist outfits said in a
> statement in Hyderabad.
>
> The statement by the Naxal groups came shortly after the Cabinet
> decided to carry forward the dialogue process despite the recent spurt
> in violence and police encounters.
>
> Apparently adopting a carrot-and-stick approach, the Cabinet, while
> asserting that the peace talks would continue, felt that Naxalites
> should desist from carrying arms and resorting to extortions.
>
> "The Cabinet unanimously felt that the talks process should be
> continued. But the government will not hesitate to take any measures
> to maintain law and order," the state Information Minister Mohammad
> Ali Shabbir told reporters.
>
> Asked when the second round of talks would be held he said, "It will
> be decided by the Home Minister after consulting the mediators."
>
> Asked what action plan the government has in mind to reduce the
> escalating tensions, the minister said several measures had been
> initiated to create congenial atmosphere for talks including abolition
> of the policy of fixing rewards on the heads of Naxalite leaders and
> lifting ban on People's War.
>
> "The government has also made it clear that there will be no combing
> operations in forest areas. But, if Naxalites move around villages
> with weapons and organise people's courts, the police will have to do
> its duty," he said.
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