South Asia Terrorism Portal
CHT: Factional Killings S. Binodkumar Singh Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On December 13, 2021, Police recovered the body of Pu Shoi Thoai Marma (38), General Secretary of the Sadar Upazila (sub-District) committee of the Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma aka Santu Larma faction of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS-Santu Larma) from the hilly area near Krao Amtalipara in the Bandarban District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). He was abducted by armed members from his house on December 12.
On November 30, 2021, Abishkar Chakma (40), an ‘area commander’ of PCJSS-Santu Larma faction was shot dead in the Sadar Upazila of Rangamati District. The victim was fired upon as he emerged from a house in Kizing village, where he had spent the night.
On September 17, 2021, Suresh Kanti Chakma alias Dinesh (55), a member of the PCJSS-Santu Larma faction was shot dead by assailants in Rangamati District. Tridip Chakma, a leader of the PCJSS-Santu Larma faction blamed the rival PCJSS-M. N. Larma faction for the murder.
On July 18, 2021, Kholo Kumar Tripura alias Sagor (29), a former member of the Prasit Bikash Khisa faction of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF-Prasit Khisa) was shot dead in the Panchhari Upazila of Khagrachhari District. Aongay Marma, the spokesperson of UPDF-Prasit Khisa, stated, "Kholo was our former member."
On June 27, 2021, Amor Jibon Chakma (40), a former member of the UPDF-Prasit Khisa faction, was taken from his home and stabbed to death in Dighinala Upazila of Khagrachhari District.
On March 31, 2021, Bishwamitra Chakma (35), a member of Jubo Samity, the youth wing of PCJSS -M. N. Larma faction, was shot dead in his sleep in the Baghaichhari Upazila of Rangamati District.
According to partial data compiled by the Institute for Conflict Management, 623 people have been killed in CHT in such fratricidal clashes since the signing of the CHT Peace Accord in 1997 (data till December 19, 2021). These include 318 members of UPDF-Prasit Khisa, 203 members of PCJSS-Santu Larma, 86 members of the PCJSS-M. N. Larma, 10 members of UPDF-Democratic, and six members of PCJSS-Reformation. 10 of these fatalities were reported in 2021. These included six members of UPDF-Prasit Khisa, three members of PCJSS-Santu Larma and one member of PCJSS-M. N. Larma.
Meanwhile, providing the ethnic identities of those killed, a December 2, 2021, report stated that, according to law enforcement agencies, since the signing of the Peace Accord 670 people, including 480 ethnic minority people and 190 Bengalis have been killed. Moreover, during the period, 660 people of small ethnic groups and 650 Bengalis were injured and 910 ethnic minority people and 384 Bengalis were abducted. The report added, further, that since the signing of the Peace Accord, the armed groups had attacked and killed 16 members of the Security Forces (SFs). Besides, SFs have recovered more than 3,000 firearms and about 250,000 rounds of ammunition in drives between 2005 to 2021.
Some of the prominent incidents of arms recovery in 2021 included:
November 26: Army recovered one AK-47, a pistol, magazines and ammunition, from a UPDF-Prasit Khisa hideout in Tripurachhara area in Rangamati District.
September 12: In an operation at a UPDF-Prasit Khisa hideout in Jarulchhari area of Khagrachhari District, the Army recovered two AK-47 rifles and 13 rounds of ammunition.
May 11: During a raid in Ruma Upazila of Bandarban District, the Army recovered two Sub Machine Guns (SMGs), 12 rounds of SMG ammunition, three magazines, and three rounds of pistol ammunition.
April 28, 2021: The Army conducted a raid at a PCJSS-Santu Larma hideout in Roangchhari Upazila of Bandarban District and recovered a 9mm pistol loaded with magazines, an AK-47 magazine, sharp domestic weapons, a knife, a large quantity of ammunition, a communication device (walkie-talkie), solar charger, various types of electronics, 13 cell phones, PCJSS books, diaries, multiple olive-coloured uniforms and records of extortion.
CHT is spread across 13,189 square kilometres and consists of three Districts – Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban. The region experienced two decades of insurgency, between 1977 and 1997, over the ethnic tribals’ demand for autonomy and land rights. More than 6,000 Government soldiers and rebels, as well as 2,500 civilians, were killed during the conflict. Though the insurgency terminated with the signing of the CHT Peace Accord on December 2, 1997, between the Government and the undivided PCJSS led by Santu Larma, violence in the region continued due to rivalry between splinter groups of PCJSS and UPDF.
After the signing of the Accord in 1997, factionalism became rampant in PCJSS ranks and the group witnessed multiple splits. The first split came in 1997 itself, when Prasit Bikash Khisa formed UPDF-Prasit Khisa, after leaving PCJSS in protest against the Accord. The second split occurred in 2007, when a faction led by Sudha Sindho Khisa formed PCJSS-Reformation. The parent group split again, into PCJSS-M. N. Larma and PCJSS-Santu Larma, in 2010. In the meantime, UPDF-Prasit Khisa also suffered a split with the formation of UPDF-Democratic, led by Tapan Jyoti Chakma alias Borma alias Jalwa, in November 2017. All these splinter groups are currently working as regional political parties. The other regional political parties active in CHT are Somo Adhikar Andolon and Parbattya Bangalee Chattra Parishad.
Meanwhile, according to locals of the region, all factions are involved in extortion from the wood trade, kitchen markets, cattle markets, transport and others. Intelligence sources indicate that these groups generate about BDT 3-4 billion in extortion yearly from people from all walks of life in CHT and are buying weapons with part of this money. According to law enforcement and intelligence sources, all factions have special armed wings, with sophisticated arms like rocket launchers, automatic sniper rifles and heavy machineguns.
Meanwhile, criticising the CHT Peace Accord while speaking at a discussion organised to mark the 24th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accord on December 2, 2021, Santu Larma observed,
Jumma people is a collective term used for 11 ethnic groups including Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Tanchangya, Mro, Lushai, Khumi, Chak, Khiyang, Bawm and Pangkhua. The name Jumma is derived from Jhum cultivation or slash-and-burn hill farming. They identify themselves as the first people of the CHT.
A central leader of PCJSS-Santu Larma further claimed that cases have been filed against at least 1,000 leaders and activists of his party and alleged that the ruling party files these cases using the administration to harass the tribal groups. At least 3,500 leaders and activists are still hiding due to such harassment and cases. The leader who provided this information is also in hiding. 25 of the 35 members in the central committee of the PCJSS-Santu Larma have left the area due to harassment.
Earlier, in the Annual Report on Human Rights Situation in CHT in 2020, published by PCJSS-Santu Larma on January 5, 2021, it was asserted that, due to lack of proper and full implementation of the CHT Peace Accord, the human rights situation in CHT had reached a critical stage in 2020. According to the report, there were 139 human rights violations by the Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Police in 2020. The report also added that three people were extrajudicially killed, 50 were arrested illegally, 49 were detained, 54 were beaten and harassed and six of them were seriously injured, 104 houses were searched and 25 houses and 20 temporary shops were vandalized in these incidents.
According to reports, among the 72 articles of the Peace Accord, 48 have already been implemented fully and 15 partially, while nine were in the process of implementation.
24 years on, the major issues of the Peace Accord, including making the CHT Land Commission functional, demilitarisation and the rehabilitation of internally displaced people, remain unsettled.
Land disputes are the main cause of conflict in CHT. Even if all the provisions of the CHT Peace Accord are implemented, without a solution to the land disputes, the locals insist, everything else would be meaningless. They allege that Bengali settlers have grabbed land of the indigenous Jumma people.
According to the Census of 2011, CHT has a population of around 1.6 million, including around 845 thousand indigenous Jumma people and 752 thousand Bengali Muslim settlers. In 1947, the Jumma population was 98 per cent and Bengali population was around two percent of the total in CHT. According to the CHT Peace Accord, the land occupied by the Bengali settlers was to be given back to the indigenous Jumma people.
On an immediate basis, it is necessary to control the armed factions to contain violence and restore peace to CHT. However, if peace is to be restored in CHT, there is no alternative to full implementation of the Accord. Unless the issues of land disputes and the full implementation of the 1997 Accord are addressed, the tensions and resentment of the indigenous people are likely to translate into periodic surges in violence.
Assam: Karbi Anglong: Ethnic Broil Oyindrila Chattopadhyay Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On December 17, 2021, Jackson Ronghang, the ‘chairman’ of the newly floated militant Karbi Democratic Liberation Front (KDLF), was killed in an encounter in the Rongmongve area of Karbi Anglong District, Assam. A search operation was launched on December 17 after receiving leads about Ronghang being present in Rongmongve. During the operation, a gunfight ensued, leading to Ronghang’s killing, while others fled the spot. A pistol, ammunition and several incriminating documents were recovered from the possession of the slain militant. Jackson Ronghang was a former Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT) cadre, who floated KDLF in 2021.
Earlier, on December 10, three workers from a construction site in Rongmongwe block of Karbi Anglong District were abducted. Subsequently, one person, identified as Amarjyoti Terang, was arrested in connection with the kidnapping. Following his interrogation, the involvement of the KDLF ‘chairman’ and others was disclosed and one of the kidnapped workers was rescued on December 13. The others are yet to be traced. The SFs had been after Ronghang since Terang’s disclosures.
On October 1, 2021, five suspected militants, identified as Akhui Kashung, Ngmpoi, Wungreingam, Ashang Chithung and Lanchungrei Kamei were arrested along with a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the Naharjan area along the Assam-Nagaland border in Karbi Anglong District. Three AK- 56 rifles with 75 rounds of ammunition and a pistol with eight rounds was recovered from them.
On August 27, 2021, four suspected militants were arrested at Gharialdubi village of Bokajan town in Karbi Anglong District. The arrestees, identified as Raju Ghatowar, Krishna Orang, Lokesh Kangari and Robert, were detained along with a rifle, three pistols, a Chinese grenade, and ammunition.
On March 2, 2021, a militant belonging to the Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) was arrested along with a Chinese grenade from Diphu in Karbi Anglong District. The arrestee identified as Pinak Sutradhar aka Biju Sutradhar had planned to attack the Diphu Railway Station with the grenade.
Since March 6, 2000, when South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), started compiling data on insurgencies in the Northeast, 268 terrorists of various outfits have been killed in Karbi Anglong District. 12 of these fatalities were reported in 2021 (data till December 19, 2021). During this period, another 828 terrorists of various outfits have been arrested, including 12 in 2021. The mounting pressure has resulted in the surrender of 716 terrorists, including 30 in 2021.
In less than five years, between March 6, 2000, and December 31, 2005, 339 civilians were killed in district, including an all-time high of 99 in 2005. On the other hand, in the next almost 16 years, the district has recorded 108 fatalities, including 51 in 2007 alone. However, three civilian fatalities have bene recorded in the current year, as against no fatality in 2020.
The district has recorded no fatality in the Security Force (SF) category since July 20, 2014, when one Assam Police Constable was killed in the Doldoli Reserve Forest area of Karbi Anglong District.
Karbi Anglong is situated in the central part of Assam, considered to be the melting pot of ethnicities and tribal groups — Karbi, Dimasa, Bodo, Kuki, Hmar, Tiwa, Garo, Man (Tai speakers), and Rengma Naga. Due to these diverse ethnicities, the district has a long history of ethnic tensions, and this has been exploited by insurgent groups of which several started operating in the district. But due to incessant SF pressure, the insurgent formations have gradually weakened.
As on date, 12 insurgent outfits which in the district and around it, have been brought into ceasefire agreements/peace talks and/or have been disbanded. Most recently, on September 4, 2021, the Government of India (GoI) signed the Karbi Accord with six Karbi militant formations: Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), People’s Democratic Council of Karbi-Longri (PDCK), United People’s Liberation Army (UPLA), Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers-Mensing-Kramsa (KPLT-M), KPLT-Ceasefire (KPLT-C) and KPLT-Run Rongpi (KPLT-R).
On September 7, 2021, following this agreement, DNLA declared a unilateral ceasefire "as a goodwill gesture and a positive response to the call for peace" by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Later, on September 24, 2021, the 'chairman' of DNLA, Edika Diphusa aka Kharmindao Dimasa, his deputy Juddychan Haflongbar, and 'general secretary' Prithamjit Jidongsa aka Galao Dimasa, came overground. Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu in a Tweeted,
Further, on September 12, UPLA disbanded after eight years of armed struggle, and 378 UPLA cadres are all set to return to their homes.
Nevertheless, problems persist. Three civilians have been killed in the current year. In contrast, between 2015 and 2020, only two civilians were killed, one each in 2016 and 2019. On May 19, 2021, DNLA militants killed Sanjoy Ronghang, a priest, in the Dhansiri Police outpost area of Karbi Anglong District, adding to ethnic tensions in the area.
Karbi Anglong District has emerged as one of the major supply routes for the cross-border drug trade. According to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, drugs worth 1.63 billion were seized in the district in two months (May and June) of 2021 alone. In one recent seizure, for instance, on November 16, Police recovered 1.77 kilograms of Heroin and arrested two drug peddlers in Karbi Anglong District. Significantly, the drug trade in India’s Northeast has established terrorist linkages. Indeed, on October 26, 2021, ‘deputy kilonser (deputy minister)’ of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), R.K. Hopingson, was injured in a gunfight between the Police and drug traffickers in the Nagaon District of Assam. 303 grams of Heroin was seized from him. During interrogation, he revealed that he had been involved in the drug trade since 2012. Confirming the nexus, the Director-General of Assam Police Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta, noted, “non-state actors in Dimapur, the commercial hub of Nagaland, are a major part of the problem of drug trafficking and abuse in Assam.”
Moreover, soon after the signing of the Peace Accord between Karbi militant groups and GoI, which was heralded as an historic step to usher in peace, protests erupted in Karbi Anglong District. The Accord stated that GoI and the Government of Assam would take necessary steps to reserve 34 seats for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 10 seats under the Open category for all communities, out of 44 elected seats in KAAC. It seems that, by dividing the seats between Karbi [including other STs] on one hand, and 10 general seats, on the other, in the KAATC to be formed, the Government sought to balance the interests of both the groups. However, the decision to create 10 general seats upset some civil society groups based in the districts, who feared a loss of political dominance. Indeed, on September 5, 2021, protestors from 24 civil society groups, also known as 24+, demonstrated along the Diphu-Manja Road, shouting slogans and burning tyres in front of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party-East Karbi Anglong District Council. Their principal objection was to the addition of 10 seats that would be open for all communities. Further, on September 8, 2021, the Autonomous State Demand Committee, a political party, and two civil groups – Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong (Karbi Women’s Association) and Karbi Students' Association – expressed disappointment with the Accord in the absence of the implementation of Article 244, which envisages the creation of an ‘autonomous state’ within Assam with a local legislature or Council of Ministers. The main and long-standing demand for an autonomous state within Assam under Article 244 of the Constitution, has not been conceded in the Accord. Further, on September 12, 2021, UPLA 'chairman' Sorjon Lo-eh, reacting to the protests by 24+, declared, “we are not putting a full stop to the Autonomous State demand by signing the Peace Accord,” as was being propagated by 24+ in Karbi Anglong. He added, “we have kept the door open for negotiating the statehood demand” as “we have realised that we cannot attain statehood by means of armed revolution.” The implementation of the Accord, consequently, is likely to remain an uphill task and may well open a Pandora’s box leading to new security threats.
With concern growing over these challenges, the State Government has sanctioned the deployment of five new Assam Commando Battalions under the Assam Police, including the 3rd Assam Commando Battalion (Operations) at Doldoli in Karbi Anglong. After the approval of Chief Minister Sarma and the State Finance Department, the Home Department issued five notifications in this regard to strengthen the overall security network across Assam. Accordingly, 800 posts, including both gazetted and non-gazetted posts, have been created in the five new Battalions – 2nd Assam Commando Battalion (Operations) at Birsima in Hailakandi District of Barak Valley; 3rd Assam Commando Battalion (Operations) at Doldoli in Karbi Anglong; 4th Assam Commando Battalion (Operations) at Geleki, Kalabari in Sivasagar; 5th Assam Commando Battalion (Urban Operations and Law & Order) at Pabhoi at Biswanath; and the 6th Assam Commando Battalion (Urban Operations and Law & Order) at Ambikapur in Sadiya under Tinsukia District.
Karbi Anglong District is an amalgam of varied ethnic and tribal groups. Due to its diversity, the district has been marred by ethnic conflicts and militancy. The Government has taken numerous initiatives to contain violence and bring the militants back into the mainstream, including several peace accords This has helped dramatically reduce militant activities. The increase in anti-insurgent operations has impacted on the rebels’ capacities and will to sustain violence. However, security challenges persist, and the district’s emergence as a transit route for the thriving narco-terrorism trade, along with the emergence of newly formed outfits like KDLF, demands urgent monitoring. Taking the peace accord to its logical conclusion would also address some of the drivers of alienation and violence in the region.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia December 13-19, 2021
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
NS
Total
AFGHANISTAN
INDIA
Assam
Jammu and Kashmir
INDIA (Left-Wing Extremism)
Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand
India (Total)
PAKISTAN
Balochistan
KP
PAKISTAN (Total)
Total (South Asia)
Over 100 alleged extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in August, says UN: On December 12, the United Nations (UN) said it had received credible allegations of over 100 extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in August. UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif said she was deeply alarmed by continuing reports of such killings, despite a general amnesty announced by the new Taliban rulers after August 15. Arab News, December 16, 2021.
61 Taliban fighters killed by fighters of NRF, tweets NRF Spokesperson Sibghatullah Ahmadi: The Spokesman of the National Resistance Front (NRF), Sibghatullah Ahmadi, in a tweet informed, that 61 Taliban fighters were killed, and 42 others injured in the past eight days. These NRF led attacks took place in Baghlan, Panjshir, Kabul, Kapisa, Samangan, Takhar, Parwan, Badghis, Laghman, Balkh, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Herat, Nangarhar, and Kunar Provinces. Amaj News, December 16, 2021.
"Taliban" will risk losing power in Afghanistan if an inclusive government is not formed, warns Russian Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov: On December 17, the Russian special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov warned that the "Taliban" will risk losing power in Afghanistan if an inclusive government is not formed. "Ethnic political inclusiveness is needed. They might lose power in the near future if they keep acting like that. They will have to ensure inclusiveness. By the way, we say this without ultimatums, calmly - just do it. They will have to do it," Kabulov said. Tolo News, December 20, 2021.
Invited Taliban to enter Kabul after Ashraf Ghani's escape, says Former President Hamid Karzai: Former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, in an interview said that Taliban did not intend to enter Kabul, but he invited them to enter to avoid chaos. "To protect the population so that the country, the city doesn't fall into chaos and the unwanted elements who would probably loot the country, loot shops," Karzai said. Amaj News, December 16, 2021.
Conspirators are hatching conspiracies against Bangladesh, says Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud:Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on December 14 said that the anti-liberation forces, along with international conspirators, are hatching conspiracies against Bangladesh even during the golden jubilee of the country's independence.
Again, on December 19: Hasan Mahmud said that Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) hatching conspiracy against country. He said that Bangladesh could have made progress more in 50 years if BNP-JeI did not resort to negative politics and hatching conspiracy against the country. Daily Observer,December 16, 2021; New Age,December 20, 2021.
Terror groups targeting India continue to operate from Pakistan, says US State department report: The United States (US) State department report 'Country Reports on Terrorism 2020' has slammed Pakistan for making little progress to counter terrorism, specifically in its pledge to dismantle all terrorist organizations without delay or discrimination. The report noted that several terrorist groups continue to operate from Pakistan, especially those targeting India such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and its affiliated front organizations Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The Times of India, December 17, 2021.
66 Indian-origin terrorists operating abroad with IS, according to US Annual report on Terrorism: 66 Indian-origin terrorists were operating abroad with the global terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) which is also present in India, according to the report of US State Department, Country Reports on Terrorism for 2020, published on December 16. The number was as of November, 2021 and none of the foreign terrorist fighters was repatriated to India last year, said the report. Social News, December 17, 2021.
Criminal Court sentences Adhuham Ahmed Rasheed to 23 years and six months in jail for the attempted assassination of Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed: On December 14, the Criminal Court sentenced Adhuham Ahmed Rasheed to 23 years, six months in jail for the attempted assassination of Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed. On May 6, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attached to a motorcycle was detonated, injuring Nasheed and several others. The Edition, December 15, 2021.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratifies the third amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act: On December 15, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the third amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act. Police are now allowed to detain persons for 48-hours without a court order in terrorism-related cases Parliament passed this bill at the 44th sitting of its third session of this year, held on November 29. Sun Online, December 16, 2021.
11 Army personnel killed in BRAS attack on checkpost in Balochistan: At least 11 Army personnel were killed when an Army post was attacked by the Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) cadres in Azghandi area between Abdoi and Wakai, in Tump town of Kech District in Balochistan on December 16. The attackers seized the post and confiscated a cache of army weapons. BRAS on December 17 claimed responsibility for the attack. The Balochistan Post, December 18, 2021.
62 people arrested in Sialkot incident released over lack of evidence, says Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat: Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat on December 16 shared that 62 people arrested in the Sialkot incident have been released over lack of evidence against them. He, however, denied that any of the prime suspects in the case has been released on bail while addressing a press conference to shed light on updates in the Sialkot incident where a Sri Lankan factory manager Priyantha Kumara was tortured to death and later set on fire. Ary News, December 17, 2021.
Security Forces are involved in enforced disappearance of political activists in Balochistan, says Amnesty International: According to Amnesty International, the Security Forces (SFs) are involved in enforced disappearance of political activists in Balochistan. Amnesty International, an international rights group, held a program to commemorate World Human Rights Day on December 10 in Hagen of Germany. The Balochistan Post, December 14, 2021.
Tamil parliamentarians meet in Colombo to discuss 13th Amendment to Constitution: Tamil parliamentarians met in Colombo on December 12, as they discussed the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka's Constitution which calls for some devolution to the North-East, amidst renewed discussion over power sharing to the Tamil homeland. Representatives from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Tamil Makkal Kootani (TMK), Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), Malaiyaha Tamils, and Tamil-speaking Muslims met to discuss the still to be implemented 13th Amendment. Tamil Guardian, December 14, 2021.
The South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on related economic, political, and social issues, in the South Asian region.
SAIR is a project of the Institute for Conflict Management and the South Asia Terrorism Portal
To receive FREE advance copies of SAIR by email Subscribe. Recommend South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) To A Friend