Indian rebel leader surrenders in Bhutan

An Indian rebel leader surrendered to the army today after being uprooted from his base in the neighbouring Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.

He urged his supporters to lay down their arms.

“Armed rebellion cannot bring independence. All militants must surrender immediately and enter into negotiations with the government,” said Bhimkanta Buragohain, a 78-year-old political ideologue and adviser to the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom.

Buragohain’s legal status was not immediately clear. The government of the Indian state of Assam recently announced an amnesty for rebels who surrender by January 31.

But Buragohain remains in the army’s custody, at least temporarily, and spoke to reporters under the watch of Indian soldiers.

Buragohain’s surrender came as a surprise. The ULFA had announced last week that he was killed by Bhutanese soldiers during an offensive launched on December 15 to expel 3,000 separatist Indian rebels operating from bases inside Bhutan.

Buragohain, one of the six founders of the ULFA, was among the militants who set up bases in Bhutan 12 years ago, after a crackdown by Indian forces drove the separatists across the border.