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Mizzima: Indian human rights activi



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   Indian human rights activists not allowed to meet Burma detainees
                              in Port Blair

Kolkata, July 21, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

A delegation of Indian human rights group based in Kolkata (Calcutta)
was recently denied access to 36 Burma nationals (Arakanese and Karens)
who have been detained in Andamans Islands in India since February 1998.

The two members delegation led by Mr. Sujato Bhadra and Mr. Bhaskar Sen
of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) visited
Port Blair in the Andamans Islands in second week of this month to
enquire into the latest situation of Burmese detainees. According to a
press release issued in the Islands on July 15, the secretariat members
of APDR met Mr.M.K.Agrawal, the S.P. of Andaman & Nicobar police and
Mr.Balbir Singh, the chief Secretary in connection with the Burmese
detainees. However, the local administration officials had refused to
divulge any information regarding the safety, well being and status of
the 36 detainees and details of cases pending against them.

?They even refused to allow us to meet them?, said the press release.
?We failed to understand how furnishing technical and official details
about them could cause any prejudice or threat to the security of
India?, said Mr. Sujato Bhadra.

The 36 Burmese nationals, belonging to two anti-Bumrse junta armed
groups  - National United Party of Arakan and Karen National Union, were
arrested in February 1998 during a well-publised ?Operation Leech?,
jointly launched by the Indian navy, air force and Coast Guards in the
Andamans Islands. The Indian armed forces at that time claimed that it
was a successful operation against the ?international gunrunners?.
However, the detainees claim that one Indian military intelligence
officer ?Lt. Col. Grewal ? promised them the offer of Landfall Island in
the Andamans to use as their base in their fight against the Burmese
junta. Col. Grewal, after taking thousands of US dollars and gold from
the Burmese rebels betrayed them. They alleged that six of their leaders
were shot dead and all their weapons were also seized by the Indian
armed forces during the operation.

The human rights group APDR, founded in 1972, has strongly protested
over ?such bureaucratic and arbritary attitude of the local
administration?.

(Please see related news on www.mizzima.com April 2 and 10, 2001)



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<center><b><font color="#000099"><font size=+1>Indian human rights activists
not allowed to meet Burma detainees</font></font></b>
<br><b><font color="#000099"><font size=+1>in Port Blair</font></font></b></center>

<p><i><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+1>Kolkata, July 21, 2001</font></font></i>
<br><i><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font></font></i>
<p><font size=+1>A delegation of Indian human rights group based in Kolkata
(Calcutta) was recently denied access to 36 Burma nationals (Arakanese
and Karens) who have been detained in Andamans Islands in India since February
1998.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The two members delegation led by Mr. Sujato Bhadra and
Mr. Bhaskar Sen of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights
(APDR) visited Port Blair in the Andamans Islands in second week of this
month to enquire into the latest situation of Burmese detainees. According
to a press release issued in the Islands on July 15, the secretariat members
of APDR met Mr.M.K.Agrawal, the S.P. of Andaman &amp; Nicobar police and
Mr.Balbir Singh, the chief Secretary in connection with the Burmese detainees.
However, the local administration officials had refused to divulge any
information regarding the safety, well being and status of the 36 detainees
and details of cases pending against them.</font>
<p><font size=+1>?They even refused to allow us to meet them?, said the
press release. ?We failed to understand how furnishing technical and official
details about them could cause any prejudice or threat to the security
of India?, said Mr. Sujato Bhadra.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The 36 Burmese nationals, belonging to two anti-Bumrse
junta armed groups&nbsp; - National United Party of Arakan and Karen National
Union, were arrested in February 1998 during a well-publised ?Operation
Leech?, jointly launched by the Indian navy, air force and Coast Guards
in the Andamans Islands. The Indian armed forces at that time claimed that
it was a successful operation against the ?international gunrunners?. However,
the detainees claim that one Indian military intelligence officer ?Lt.
Col. Grewal ? promised them the offer of Landfall Island in the Andamans
to use as their base in their fight against the Burmese junta. Col. Grewal,
after taking thousands of US dollars and gold from the Burmese rebels betrayed
them. They alleged that six of their leaders were shot dead and all their
weapons were also seized by the Indian armed forces during the operation.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The human rights group APDR, founded in 1972, has strongly
protested over ?such bureaucratic and arbritary attitude of the local administration?.</font>
<p><font size=+1>(Please see related news on <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>www.mizzima.com</a>
April 2 and 10, 2001)</font>
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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