Ultimatum to ULFA, Bodo ultras

PHUENTSHOLING, July 23: The Bhutan government has served an ultimatum on the ULFA and Bodo terrorists to leave the country or face eviction. Meanwhile, the government has decided to enforce a cut-off in supplies to the terrorists in camps. The terrorists sneaked into the dense forests in Bhutan on the Bhutan-India border in 1992 and established as many as 21 camps between Kalikhola and Daifam. The spurt in their activities in Bhutan was noticed following the pressure on the ULFA terrorists in Bangladesh by the Bangladesh government a few years ago. The home minister of Bhutan Thinley Gyamtsho admitted that two rounds of talks with the ULFA were held. The first was held on November 20 last year, in which Bhutan conveyed its concern to the terrorists camping in Bhutan. The ULFA had sent a middle-level leader. The Bhutan government also made it clear that in future talks would be held only with top ULFA leaders. The second round of talks was held on May 7 this year. The Bhutan government asked the ULFA terrorists to relocate their camps and leave Bhutanese territory as early as possible. The ULFA terrorists offered to reduce the number of camps, minimise the number of activists in the camps, keeping the camps as mobile units, and move only at night, but pleading their inability to leave Bhutanese soil not before at least another year and a half. Both sides agreed to have another round of talks.