[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 31 Dec: Days after shocking the state by issuing a statement opposing the construction of mega dams, issuing of ST certificates to non-APST offspring and seeking relocation of Chakma-Hajong refugees, the recently formed armed group United Tani Army (UTA) on Tuesday released several videos of its training camps.
The videos were made available to this daily by UTA chairman Anthony Doke.
In the videos, presence of weapons and operatives in the camps is shown. The structure of the camps is mostly temporary in nature.
The location of the camps remains unknown, but it is well stocked with arms and ammunition.
In an interview, Doke said that he would soon present a “detailed plan” about his organisation and its motives. He alleged that the government of India does not care about the areas inhabited by the Tani tribes. He further said that his organisation is seeking union territory status for the Tani areas.
Doke is believed to be currently based in Myanmar. “The camps shown in the videos look likely to be that of the NSCN (K-YA). He is trying to revive the UTA with the help of Naga militants,” said an official.
The sudden spike of activity by Doke has worried security agencies. “Since he shifted base to Myanmar last year the agencies have been tracking his movements. His attempts to try lure the youths with sophisticated tactics like issuing statements to the media and releasing videos of training camps is a major challenge for us,” said another official.