The Maoists and their Mines,UNMIN: Mission Ambiguous :: South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR),Vol. No. 9.14
Show/Hide Search
HomePrint
 
  Click to Enlarge
   

SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 9, No. 14, October 11, 2010

Data and assessments from SAIR can be freely published in any form with credit to the South Asia Intelligence Review of the
South Asia Terrorism Portal


ASSESSMENT

 

INDIA
Click for PrintPrint

The Maoists and their Mines
Ajit Kumar Singh
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management

Three Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel were killed when the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres triggered a landmine explosion targeting a vehicle carrying the ITBP personnel near Kohka village in the Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh on October 8. The landmine was planted under a culvert just yards from the Kohka Police Outpost. Earlier, on October 4, a landmine blast triggered by the Maoists killed five Security Force (SF) personnel at Perimili in the Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra. On October 5, the Maoists triggered a landmine in the Talewada Forest area of Gadchiroli, injuring eight SF personnel, who were part of the rescue team travelling in an anti-mine vehicle from Pranhita headquarters at Aheri to Perimili, to retrieve the body of a Policeman killed on October 4.

These are only the latest among an endless and increasingly effective series of landmine and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks executed by the Maoists over years. According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), 442 persons have been killed while 422 have received injuries in a total of 380 incidents of landmine explosion by the Maoists since 2005. 52 of these incidents were major (comprising of three or more than three fatalities).

The two worst-affected States, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, together account for 329 (74.44 per cent) of these fatalities. However, Orissa (79) has witnessed the highest number of landmine incidents, followed by Jharkhand (78) and Chhattisgarh (78). Explaining the gravity of the situation in the State, the Director General of Chhattisgarh Police Vishwa Ranjan stated, on May 9, 2010, "Bastar region is spread over nearly 40,000 square kilometres area, of which up to 25,000 square kilometres is intensively mined." Abujmadh in Chhattisgarh, which forms the Central Guerrilla Base Area of the Maoists, is secured by a complex system of landmines and IEDs throughout this densely forested expanse of some 4,000 square kilometres.

The Maoist use of landmines against the SFs has wide variants. Small contingents of SFs passing through inhabited areas are targeted with mines placed under the road surface, and triggered without the militants engaging in any direct confrontation with the Forces. When they take on large contingents of SFs deeper in the forest, however, landmines are used as a first shock, before engaging the troops in gun battles. Significantly, in the country’s worst Maoist attacks on April 6, 2010, in which 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and a State Police trooper were killed in an ambush in the thick Mukrana forests of Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh, the Maoists were aware of the CRPF movement and executed their attack with fierce precision. They first blew up the SF’s anti-landmine vehicle and then began firing indiscriminately. The shocked and exhausted troopers had failed to follow standard operating procedures, and were massacred. Similarly, on February 9, 2010, an SF contingent was hit by a landmine and then ambushed by Maoist cadres at a village in Dantewada District, when they were on a search for 12 missing tribals in pursuance of a Supreme Court order passed on February 8.

Some of the major incidents of explosion orchestrated by the Maoists against SFs include the following:

April 4, 2010: 11 personnel of the anti-Maoist Special Operation Group (SOG) were killed and eight others were seriously injured when cadres of the CPI-Maoist triggered a landmine blast targeting a mini bus carrying the SOG personnel at Tanginiguda on the Govindpalli Ghat road in Koraput District of Orissa.

June 20, 2009: 12 CRPF personnel were killed in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist cadres at Tonagapal in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh.

June 12, 2009: CPI-Maoist cadres detonated a landmine in the Nawadih area of the Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh, killing at least 11 SF personnel and injuring eight.

June 10, 2009: 11 Policemen, including a CRPF Inspector, were killed and six were injured, when CPI-Maoist cadres triggered a landmine explosion targeting their vehicle in West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand.

May 11, 2009: 12 Policemen and a civilian were killed and seven others injured in a landmine blast triggered by the Maoists at Risgaon village in the Dhamtari District of Chhattisgarh. The incident took place when the Maoists blew up a Police vehicle carrying the Police personnel.

August 30, 2008: 12 Police personnel were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in was blown up in a landmine blast in the East Singhbhum District of Jharkhand.

July 16, 2008: CPI-Maoist cadres killed 17 personnel of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Orissa Police in a landmine blast in the Malkangiri District.

November 2, 2007: Around 100 cadres of the CPI-Maoist ambushed a Police party near Pamedu Police Station in the Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh and killed 16 Policemen, including six CRPF personnel. The Maoists first triggered a landmine explosion and then indiscriminately fired on the Policemen killing 16.

December 2, 2006: 14 Police personnel belonging to the Special Task Force of the Jharkhand Police were killed and three injured in a landmine blast detonated by suspected CPI-Maoist cadres at Kanchkir in the Bokaro District.

June 1, 2006: At least 12 Police personnel were killed when CPI-Maoist cadres triggered a landmine explosion in the West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand.

September 3, 2005: 23 CRPF personnel and two from the State Police were killed in a landmine explosion triggered by the CPI-Maoist near Padeda village in the Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh.

January 5, 2005: CPI-Maoist cadres killed the Munger Superintendent of Police, K.C. Surendra Babu, and six Police personnel in a landmine explosion near the Bhimbandh area of the District in Bihar.

The Maoists have also used landmines and IEDs against civilian targets. Some of the most significant of these incidents include:

August 3, 2010: Five persons of a private security agency travelling by a car were killed when CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a culvert with a landmine near Pirtand in Giridih District of Jharkhand.

April 16, 2009: Five poll officials, including a zonal officer identified as A.K. Acharya, were killed and many others injured when CPI-Maoist cadres blew up a van ferrying election officials by triggering a landmine blast at Phulwera village in the Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh.

May 16, 2006: In a landmine explosion triggered by the CPI-Maoist, 12 members of a marriage group were killed between Halebada and Patha villages in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra.

March 25, 2006: 11 persons were killed and four others sustained injuries in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist in Kanker District of Chhattisgarh.

February 28, 2006: At least 25 tribals were killed and 40 others sustained injuries in a landmine blast triggered by the CPI-Maoist near Eklagoda village, in the jurisdiction of Arabore Police Station of Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh.

A wide range of improvised devices, including camera flashes, wires, switches, holders, batteries and cell phones have been used by the Maoist to rig explosions and, as Dantewada Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Sharma, notes, "landmines are the Maoists’ favourite weapon." A June 18, 2010, report by the office of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, submitted to the UN Security Council, noted: "The Naxals [Maoists] have admitted that children… were provided with training to use non-lethal and lethal weapons, including landmines."

The Maoists bury their landmines even under concrete roads, in addition to placing them under kacha (non-metalled) roads. Unsurprisingly, the Union Government on October 28, 2009, had warned that incidents of landmine explosions, ambushes and train blockages would increase.

The constant and greater degree of use of landmines by the Maoists in their fight against the establishment has become a major concern for the authorities. To counter this, according to a November 24, 2007, report, the Jharkhand Police decided to form motorcycle squads arguing, "In jungles, Maoists detonate vehicles by triggering landmine blasts. But it will be difficult to blast bikes." But this is, at best, a shot in the dark. Chhattisgarh Police DGP, Vishwa Ranjan, on May 9, 2010, notes, "The big problem is, we have no technology and resources to de-mine the massive forested pockets. Without taking out landmines it's literally impossible to go after them (the Maoists) freely in thickly forested areas where Maoists are always ready with a booby trap."

NEPAL
Click for PrintPrint

UNMIN: Mission Ambiguous
Anshuman Behera
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management

The tenure of the United Nation’s Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), originally intended to end on January 23, 2008, was extended for the seventh time on September 15, 2010. A meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York formally extended UNMIN’s term by four months. As per this agreement, the integration of Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) combatants is to be completed by January 15, 2011, while any difficulties faced by the Nepal Army (NA) were to be settled through ‘political consensus’.

Notably, the first ever extension of the tenure of the UNMIN came to the floor when the UNSC unanimously extended UNMIN’s mandate for six months on January 23, 2008 (UNSC Resolution 1796). The second extension was done on July 23, 2008, through the UNSC Resolution-1825; the third was on January 23, 2009, by UNSC Resolution 1864; the fourth, on July 23, 2009, vide Resolution 1879; the fifth was on January 21, 2010, by UNSC resolution 1909; the sixth, on May 15, 2010, vide UNSC Resolution-1921; and the seventh on September 15, 2010, vide UNSC Resolution 1939.

Earlier, on September 11, 2010, a joint letter was given by the Government of Nepal and the UCPN-M to the UN’s Secretary General regarding UNMIN’s tenure extension. With this, the row over the term and mandate of UNMIN, which had become a bone of contention between the UCPN-M and the other political parties and the Government of Nepal in recent times, has been settled, for now.

UNMIN, a special political mission in support of the peace process in Nepal, was established in response to the letter to the Secretary-General of the UN, sent on August 9, 2006, in which the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) Government and the UCPN-M requested the UN’s assistance in creating a free and fair atmosphere for the election to the Constituent Assembly (CA) and for the entire peace process. UNMIN was established on January 23, 2007, by UNSC Resolution 1740, with the following mandate:

  1. Monitor the management of arms and armed personnel of the Nepalese Army (NA) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of the Maoists, in line of the with the provision of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)

  2. Assist the political parties through a Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) in implementing their agreement on the management of arms and armed personnel.

  3. Assist in the monitoring of the cease fire agreement.

  4. Provide technical assistance to the Election Commission (EC) in the planning, preparation and conduct of the election of the CA in a free and fair atmosphere.

Significantly, in the year 2010, UNMIN has been given three extensions, raising valid concerns regarding the organization’s success in fulfilling its purpose. UNMIN’s successes include the completion of the verification of PLA cadres in December 2007. UNMIN also successfully monitored CA elections in 2008. On the integration of the NA and the PLA, however, it has failed abjectly.

This is the principal reason for the increasing lack of consensus on UNMIN’s tenure and mandate, in the recent times. The difference of the opinion comes from four quarters: the UCPN-M, the caretaker Government, the NA and the Nepali Congress (NC).

The strongest opposition to the extension of the UNMIN’s term comes from the NC. The NC spokesperson, Arjun Narsingh, KC, on August 22, 2010, declared that the NA cannot be kept under the UNMIN: "In the past, there was a monarchy, now time has changed. So it is irrelevant to keep the NA under any monitoring." It is useful to note that, during the sixth extension of UNMIN’s mandate, NC ministers had raised this point before Prime Minister, Madhav Kumar Nepal. NC maintains that NA and the PLA combatants cannot be given equal status.

Meanwhile, the NA has raised serious reservations regarding UNMIN’s tenure. The Defence Minister of the caretaker Government, Bidya Bhandari, stated on August 30, 2010, that the NA cannot be under UNMIN’s purview. She also argued that, once UNMIN’s tenure is over, it can only be extended for a period of three months, with a revised mandate. She claimed that the NA and the PLA cannot be put at equal footing, since the Maoists are using the combatants to strengthen their political position. The Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Chhatraman Singh Gurung also held to the same stand, when he met the leaders of different political parties and lobbied to block the extension of UNMIN’s current mandate. According to the CoAS, UNMIN’s term cannot be extended, and PLA combatants should be monitored by a secretariat to be formed under the Army Integration Special Committee.

The Maoists, however, are keen on UNMIN’s continuance till their political interests are fulfilled. For the Maoists, once PLA combatants are ‘integrated’, the Party will have a major stake in all aspects of the political affairs of the country. Time and again, the Maoists have stressed the positive role UNMIN played in the peace process in Nepal. In response to the Government’s stance on UNMIN’s status, the UCPN-M chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda wrote a separate letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, on September 9, 2010, stating that the Government had sent a letter without proper consultation with the political parties, and requested a six months extension of UNMIN’s term to take the peace process to its logical conclusion. The Maoists, it seems, are aware of the fact that once UNMIN is out of Nepal, the integration of PLA combatants with the NA will face a combined opposition from all sides.

The UN, however, remains very keen to continue its mission in Nepal. During her visit to Nepal in March 2009, the UN High Commissioner to Nepal, Navi Pillay, asked the Nepali Government for a further extension of its mandate for a clear three years, after its scheduled expiry in June 2009. More recently, UNMIN Chief Karin Landgren met CA Chairman Subas Nemwang on August 27, 2010, to press for a decision on UNMIN’s term extension. Later, she held a series of meetings with different political parties in this regard. On September 1, 2010, Landgren briefed the UNSC on the peace process in Nepal and the works undertaken by the mission.

There are rising suspicions that UNMIN is getting involved in the internal affairs of the country. Prof. Nischal Nath Pandey, Director of the Centre for South Asian Studies, Visiting Faculty to National University, Singapore, told this writer, on February 11, 2008, that there were reports that some of UNMIN arms monitors had gone to India on tourist visas to meet some underground leaders of the Terai (Madhesh) groups. UNMIN’s credibility has been further undermined by the fact that both the NA and the PLA had announced fresh vacancies for recruitment, in clear violation of the UNMIN mediated agreements in this regard.

UNMIN’s original tasks – verification of PLA combatants and arms, and the successful conduct of CA election – have been accomplished. A future and constructive role in Nepal can only be based on a political consensus within the leading parties in Nepal – and this has been entirely elusive, even in the election of the Prime Minister to form a Government. It is unlikely, within the present and fractious atmosphere, that UNMIN can make any significant difference to developments in Kathmandu.


NEWS BRIEFS

Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia
October 4-10, 2010

 

Civilians

Security Force Personnel

Terrorists/Insurgents

Total

BANGLADESH

 

Left-wing Extremism

0
0
1
1

INDIA

 

Assam

0
0
1
1

Jammu and Kashmir

0
0
8
8

Manipur

0
0
4
4

Meghalaya

0
0
1
1

Left-wing Extremism

 

Andhra Pradesh

2
0
0
2

Chhattisgarh

2
0
6
8

Jharkhand

0
0
2
2

Maharashtra

4
8
0
12

West Bengal

4
0
0
4

Total (INDIA)

12
8
22
42

PAKISTAN

 

FATA

0
6
48
54

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

0
0
7
7

Sindh

11
0
2
13

Total (PAKISTAN)

11
6
57
74
Provisional data compiled from English language media sources.


INDIA

Interpol red corner notice issued against five Pakistani nationals including two serving Army officers: Interpol on October 7 issued red corner notices against five Pakistani nationals, including two serving Army officers, for their alleged role in plotting terror attacks in India, including the attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008 (also known as 26/11). The Hindu, October 8, 2010.

Centre issues fresh terror alert to the States: The Centre on October 3, asked all the States to put targets which were reconnoitred by the American born Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley alias Dawood Gilani under extra security cover, and step up their overall vigilance in view of general threats. Times of India, October 6, 2010.

Maoists tell cadres to repeat Dantewada-like attack: The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has called upon its cadres to repeat the Dantewada like attack (in which 75 Central Reserve Police Force and one State Police personnel were killed in Chhattisgarh in April 2010) as a counter offensive to Operation Green Hunt taken up by the Government to crush the Maoist movement in the Dandakaranya region. Times of India, October 8, 2010.

Maoists enjoy 'urban support', claims new CRPF chief: New Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief K. Vijay Kumar, on October 6, said Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), who posed a "formidable challenge" for Security Forces, have "urban connections", which provide them logistics and financial support. Times of India, October 7, 2010.

Maoist kangaroo courts executed 21 people in 2010, says Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, on October 1, said, 21 persons had been executed in full public view by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in kangaroo courts (people’s courts) till August 31, 2010. Times of India, October 5, 2010.

Ajmer and Malegaon blasts were planned in Gujarat Ashram, confirm witnesses: Key witnesses in the bomb explosion cases in Ajmer Dargah (Shrine, October 11, 2007) and Malegaon (September 29, 2008) disclosed that the plotting of these two incidents was carried out at Shabri Dham Ashram (hermitage) in the Dangs region of south Gujarat. Times of India, October 9, 2010.

Pervez Musharraf’s remarks confirm India's position, says Centre: The Government of India, on October 6, officially reacted to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's admission that Pakistan had trained militants and pushed them into Jammu and Kashmir by stating that his assertions had only vindicated India's official position. Times of India, October 7, 2010.

Government nod for creation of BRO-type agency for Naxal-hit States: The Government, on October 8, approved in principle the creation of an agency similar to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for developing road infrastructure in Naxal [Left Wing Extremism]-affected States. IBN Live, October 9, 2010.


NEPAL

UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe for ending impunity in Nepal Army: The United Nations (UN) Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, on October 7, said that ending impunity and progress on democratisation of the Nepal Army (NA) are crucial for the continuation of NA engagement in UN peacekeeping. Kantipur online, October 8, 2010.

NC invites CPN-UML and UCPN-M for discussing its 'consensus proposal': The Nepali Congress (NC) invited Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) and Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) for discussing its recently unveiled four-point ‘consensus proposal’ for ending the Prime Ministerial (PM) election fiasco. Nepal News, October 5, 2010.


PAKISTAN

48 militants and six SFs among 54 persons killed during the week in FATA:

Seven militants were killed and three others injured when US drones attacked a house and a car in the Spinwam tehsil (revenue unit) of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on October 10.

At least five militants were killed as helicopter gunships targeted militant hideouts in the Bara area of the Khyber Agency on October 9.

10 militants were killed when a US drone fired two missiles on a compound in Charkhel village, about 25 kilometres west of Miranshah in the Dattakhel tehsil of NWA on October 8.

A US drone fired two missiles on a militant compound in Khaisoori town of Mir Ali District in NWA on October 7 killing four militants and injuring two others.

11 militants were killed in two US drones attacks in NWA on October 6. In addition, three militants were killed and four were injured during a clash with Security Forces at Ghanam Shah area of Baizai tehsil in Mohmand Agency.

Eight terrorists of German nationality were killed when a US drone fired two missiles that struck a mosque in the Mir Ali area of NWA on October 4. Dawn; Daily Times; The News, October 4-October 10, 2010.

"We trained militant groups against India", admits former President Pervez Musharraf: Former President Pervez Musharraf, on October 5, admitted that Pakistan had trained militant groups to fight in Kashmir. On October 6, he warned that "non-state actors" wanted to take over the country by weakening the democratic system. Further, on October 8, dubbing his political detractors as "cowards," Musharraf said that the greatest threat his country was facing was "failure of governance", rather than India or Taliban. Times of India, October 6-9, 2010.

LeT steps up targeting of Indian citizens and interests in Afghanistan: LeT steps up targeting of Indian citizens and interests in Afghanistan: Times of India, October 7, 2010.

ISI’s ‘militant links’ worrying, says Pentagon spokesman Colonel David Lapan: Top US defence officials are concerned that some elements of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) may be interacting improperly with Taliban and other insurgent groups, a Pentagon spokesman Colonel David Lapan said on October 7.

Meanwhile, the ISI is pressing Taliban commanders in Afghanistan to fight the US and allied troops and "kill everyone" so that no peace deal is cut to end the war without Islamabad's involvement, Times of India quoting a The Wall Street Journal report said on October 7. Daily Times; Times of India, October 8, 2010.

Pakistan unwilling to pursue militants, says White House assessment report: A new White House assessment on October 5 concludes that Pakistan has been unwilling to aggressively pursue al Qaeda and Afghan Taliban militants in its Tribal Areas. Daily Times, October 8, 2010.

Pakistan border situation ‘complex’, says US: The United States (US) on October 7 admitted the situation in Pakistani tribal areas was "difficult and complex". Dawn, September 28, 2010.

No ‘adjustments’ needed in Pak-Afghan strategy, says US President Barack Obama: US President Barack Obama told lawmakers on October 5 that no changes were needed to his Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy. Daily Times, October 6, 2010.


SRI LANKA

Canada searching evidence for a second Sri Lankan Tamil migrant ship: Canadian authorities are searching for evidence of a possible second ship suspected of smuggling Sri Lankan Tamil migrants to Canada. Colombo Page,October 9, 2010.

Ex-Army chief Sarath Fonseka loses his parliamentary seat: Sri Lanka' ex-Army chief Genearl (retired) Sarath Fonseka lost his seat in Parliament in accordance with an ordinance which clearly states that if a member is jailed he loses his seat immediately. Fonseka is in jail after President Mahinda Rajapakse on September 30, 2010 signed the paper endorsing the military court order sentencing Fonseka for a period of 30 months. Asian Tribune, October 8, 2010.

Tamil parties ask Government to institute civil administration in the North: Sri Lanka's Tamil Political Parties Forum (TPPF) on October 4 asked the Government to start a civil administration in the North after ending the military administration. Outlook India; Colombo Page, October 6, 2010.


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.

South Asia Intelligence Review [SAIR]

Publisher
K. P. S. Gill

Editor
Dr. Ajai Sahni


A Project of the
Institute For Conflict Management



To receive FREE advance copies of SAIR by email Subscribe.

Recommend South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) to a friend.

 

 

 

 

 
Copyright © 2001 SATP. All rights reserved.