ULFA admits it is using China as a base

The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has set up bases in China and other foreign countries with the help of money extorted in the state, two senior ULFA leaders have told police interrogators.

This is the first time the ULFA, which is fighting to secede the oil-rich Assam from India, has accepted setting up bases in China.

ULFA "foreign secretary" Sasha Choudhury and "finance secretary" Chitraban Hazarika, now in police remand since Nov 6, told interrogations that apart from Bangladesh they have bases in China and other foreign countries.

"Crores of rupees have been extorted from (Assam) and transferred to (ULFA) leaders in Bangladesh, China and other countries where they have established hideouts," the Special Operations Unit (SOU) of Assam Police quoted the two leaders as confessing.

The interrogation report was submitted to the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Guwahati Tuesday, a copy of which is available with IANS.

"Several foreign agencies and NGOs provided logistic assistance to the ULFA leaders in foreign countries. They are trying to muster support from China, Bangladesh and other foreign countries for ULFA," the interrogation report quoted the arrested men as saying.

According to officials, the two ULFA leaders were arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) near Gokul Nagar in Tripura Nov 5 while trying to sneak into India. The duo, who were based in Dhaka, denied this version.

There have been reports in a section of the media that the two were arrested in Bangladesh and handed them over to the Indian authorities Nov 2.

The two men also revealed that ULFA was planning to procure a huge consignment of arms and explosives from Pakistan and China for "use against the government of India," the interrogation report said.

The ULFA is widely known to enjoy close ties with the Pakistani intelligence. It is also known to have bases in Bangladesh where its top leaders have lived for a long time.

Last updated on Nov 19^th, 2009 at 13:32 pm IST--IANS