Indian Maoists Pledge Support for Renewed Tamil Eelam Struggle

Tamil refugees behind barbed wire.

Asian Tribune, October 23, 2009

Indian Maoists pledge support for armed Eelam struggle

Indian Maoists have pledged support for another armed struggle by the Sri Lankan Tamils for an independent Eelam.

Indian website thatstamil.oneindia.in has quoted Maoist general secretary Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi as having told a pro-naxalite website in an interview that the Eelam struggle has not died down with the passing of LTTE leader Prabhakaran. “It is still alive and we shall support it with arms”.

Apparently keeping in mind the Indian experience where naxal groups like Maoist Communist Centre, the People’s War and others have come together and are controlling vast areas in Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal, he said: “The battle for Tamil Eelam is not lost yet. Eelam will blossom one day if all the (Tamil) groups come together and, with changed strategies, resume the struggle”

Mr Ganapathi said: “We shall smuggle in sophisticated arms in ultra-modern boats to the rebels to revive the armed struggle in Sri Lanka and nobody can stop us. We are formed groups for this”.

Nepal: Army Commanders Debate Restructuring

eKantipur, November 11, 2009

Differences persist over Army restructuring

KATHMANDU:  Nepal Army (NA) has initiated internal debate on its restructuring in the changed political context, but there has been little convergence with political parties on key issues of the peace process.

The Interim Constitution agreed to by the Seven Party Alliance government and CPN (Maoist) in 2007 envisaged that the Council of Ministers would “formulate extensive work plan for democratisation of Nepal Army and implement it.” The action plan would determine the appropriate number of Nepal Army personnel and develop the Army’s democratic structure along “national and inclusive characters.”

The new Chief of the Army Staff Chhatra Man Singh Gurung has called all these outstanding issues, including the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants, as “political” and said the call should be made by political parties and the government. Gen. Gurung has formed a task force led by Brig. Gen. Pawan Jung Thapa to come up with recommendations on restructuring the NA. The move followed Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s visit to Army Headquarters on Oct. 11. “The task force will ‘introspect’ on the strengths and weaknesses of Nepal Army,” said a senior Army officer. “It will also review the performance and structure of the Army.”