ULFA leaders warn of attack on mobile phone towers

Frustrated at security forces' increasing surveillance on their phone calls, the anti-talks faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam on Saturday warned them of carrying out an attack on mobile phone towers to protest against "security forces' attempt to prevent the leaders and cadres of the ULFA to keep in touch with people in Assam's society".

The ULFA faction condemned the "inhuman treatment and harassment meted out to those innocent persons" who are contacted over the phone by ULFA leaders and cadres on various occasions. The ULFA alleged that Indian security forces torture these people and sometimes even send them to jail after they are found to be contacted by ULFA members over the phone.

In a statement issued to the media, the ULFA (anti-talks) faction led by fugitive commander-in-chief Paresh Barua stated that it had been observing with great concern that security forces of late had started torturing those people who had been contacted over the phone by ULFA leaders or cadres.

Such action is inhuman and in blatant violation of human rights, said the ULFA, and warned that if the security forces continued to harass such people, it would be compelled to attack phone towers in the state, jeopardising the mobile phone network in the state.

ULFA leaders and cadres were not cut off from the society in Assam and couldn't be prevented by the security forces from calling on people at the time of their distress or on occasions of happiness, it stated.

Security forces in Assam have been keeping a close tab on phone calls coming in or going to ULFA cadres and leaders using ultra modern gadgets, making it difficult for the outfit to keep in touch with its contacts in the civil society. They are trying to prevent the anti-talks faction --whose leader Paresh Barua is suspected to be based in Myanmar -- to regain its foothold in Assam and carry out extortions and other unlawful activities.