China turns down ULFA plea for safe passage

NEW DELHI, Dec 31 ? Reacting to outlawed ULFA?s clarion call for help, China has turned it down cautioning that it has alerted its Frontier Forces to check intrusion by the militants into the country. A spokesman of the Chinese embassy in its first-ever reaction to the ULFA?s appeal said that the peoples republic has taken note of the reports and it would closely monitor the situation. ?We are confident that Chinese frontier forces are capable of safeguarding the security and stability of our border areas,? the spokesman said. China has always followed the principle of non-interference in internal affairs of other countries and will not allow its territories to be used by anybody for activities against other countries, the spokesman said. Chairman of ULFA Arabinda Rajkhowa had last week appealed to China to extend humanitarian help to its cadres who are on the run following crackdown on its camps in Bhutan. Officials here said that China?s reaction was along expected lines given that the relations between the two countries had improved lately. Apart from agreeing to reopen the Nathula Pass, China has recently taken Sikkim off its map. India and China are also currently engaged in negotiations to resolve the boundary dispute. The next round of talks between the two sides are slated early next year.