Bodo rebels start truce in Assam
AFP, Guwahati
A ceasefire between the Indian government and a separatist group in the northeastern state of Assam began Wednesday with the aim of ending nearly two decades of insurgency, an official said. The ceasefire with the National Democratic Front of Bodoland began at midnight, said Assam Home Commissioner B.K. Gohain. "The ceasefire has begun with the cessation of military operations, and very soon the (rebels) will disarm and live in designated camps as per the truce pact," Gohain said. The Indian government and the group signed the ceasefire pact on May 25 in New Delhi. The agreement requires the rebels to disarm and move from jungle hideouts into designated camps. The pact aims to end two decades of violence that have left thousands dead. It will be monitored by a committee of government officials and rebel leaders, Gohain said. The Bodos, a largely Hindu and Christian tribal group, account for about 10 percent of Assam's 26 million people and live in the western and northern part of the state. New Delhi has also invited the state's other frontline rebel group, the United Liberation Front of Asom, for peace talks, although the group wants four of their jailed leaders to be released before any negotiations. More than 10,000 people have lost their lives in the insurgency in Assam during the past two decades.
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