Background
In 1990 India launched Operations Rhino and Bajrang against Assam separatist groups. Facing continuous pressure, Assamese militants relocated their camps to Bhutan. [6]
In the 1990s, United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) allegedly assisted the government of Bhutan in the expulsion of the ethnic Lhotshampa population, occupying the land left behind by the refugees. [5] [7]
In 1996 the Bhutan government became aware of a large number of camps on its southern border with India. The camps were set up by four Assamese separatist movements: the ULFA, NDFB, Bodo Liberation Tigers Force (BLTF) and Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO). The camps also harbored separatists belonging to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF). [4]
The camps had been established with the goal of training cadres and storing equipment, while the thick jungles of the region also enabled the militants to easily launch attacks into Indian territory. [10]
India then exerted diplomatic pressure on Bhutan, offering support in removing the rebel organisations from its soil. The government of Bhutan initially pursued a peaceful solution, opening dialogue with the militant groups on 1998. Five rounds of talks were held with ULFA, three rounds with NDFB, with KLO ignoring all invitations sent by the government. In June 2001 ULFA agreed to close down four of its camps; however, the Bhutanese government soon realized that the camps had simply been relocated. [6]
KLO had also been allegedly involved in creating the Bhutan Tiger Force, the military wing of the Communist Party of Bhutan (Marxist–Leninist–Maoist), together with Nepalese Maoists. Additionally, the KLO, along with ULFA and NDFB, were allegedly involved in forming another militant outfit, the Bhutan Gorkha Liberation Front, made up of ethnic Nepalese immigrants and refugees from southern Bhutan. This strengthened the Bhutanese government's resolve to launch the operation. [7]
On 19 July 2003, a group of Bhutanese parliamentarians proposed to raise the number of Bhutanese militia, by introducing a Swiss-style militia training for all citizens aged between 18 and 50. The motion was dismissed by foreign minister Jigme Thinley and Brigadier General Batoo Tshering, who asserted that 5,000 Royal Bhutan Army soldiers have been deployed to the country's border with India. [11]
On 3 August 2003, more than 15 gunmen attacked an ULFA base in Kinzo, 22 kilometers from Samdrup Jongkhar, leaving two ULFA members dead. The attackers fled after the rebels returned fire. [12] The following day, a group of between 10 and 12 gunmen attacked ULFA members residing in an abandoned house in Babang. Four gunmen and one ULFA fighter perished in the encounter. [12] In response, a ULFA spokeswoman blamed the attacks on mercenaries and SULFA fighters hired by the Indian government. Indian officials attributed the attacks to rebel infighting. [12]
During the course of 2003, Bhutan reestablished its militia force. [1] By 15 September 2003, the Bhutanese militia consisted of 634 volunteers. The militia volunteers were deployed in the southern regions of the country, after undergoing a two-month training period. Bhutan's militia played a supporting role during the conflict. [1]
By 2003 the talks had failed to produce any significant result. On 14 July 2003, military intervention was approved by the National Assembly. [6] On 13 December 2003, the Bhutanese government issued a two-day ultimatum to the rebels. On 15 December 2003, after the ultimatum had expired, Operation All Clear – the first operation ever conducted by the Royal Bhutan Army – was launched. [13]
Bhutan's early history is steeped in mythology and remains obscure. Some of the structures provide evidence that the region has been settled as early as 2000 BC. According to a legend it was ruled by a Cooch-Behar king, Sangaldip, around the 7th century BC, but not much is known prior to the introduction of Tibetan Buddhism in the 9th century, when turmoil in Tibet forced many monks to flee to Bhutan. In the 12th century, the Drukpa Kagyupa school was established and remains the dominant form of Buddhism in Bhutan today. The country's political history is intimately tied to its religious history and relations among the various monastic schools and monasteries.
The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) is an armed separatist organisation operating in the Northeast Indian state of Assam. It seeks to establish an independent sovereign nation state of Assam for the indigenous Assamese people through an armed struggle in the Assam conflict. The Government of India banned the organisation in 1990 citing it as a terrorist organisation, while the United States Department of State lists it under "other groups of concern."
The Royal Bhutan Army is a branch of the armed forces of the Kingdom of Bhutan responsible for maintaining the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty against security threats. The King of Bhutan is the Supreme Commander in Chief of the RBA. The Chief Operations Officer is Goonglon Gongma Batoo Tshering.
The National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) was an armed separatist outfit which sought to obtain a sovereign Boroland for the Bodo people. It is designated as a terrorist organisation by the Government of India.
The Insurgency in Northeast India involves multiple separatist militant groups operating in some of India's northeastern states, which are connected to the rest of India by the Siliguri Corridor, a strip of land as narrow as 14.29 miles (23.00 km) wide.
Drukair Corporation Limited, operating as Drukair — Royal Bhutan Airlines, is the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan, headquartered in the western dzongkhag of Paro.
Paresh Baruah, also known by aliases Paresh Asom and Kamruj Zaman Khan, is an Indian separatist militant who is the army chief of the ULFA, which is seeking Independence for Assam from the Indian Union. He is the vice-chairperson and the commander-in-chief of the United Liberation Front of Assam – Independent. Baruah lives in Yunnan, China where he receives funding and patronage from MSS. He has also insisted that Han Chinese are friends of the Assamese and want to help them become independent, even though his influence has largely diminished.
Bhutan has a low crime rate. Incidents of petty crime are occasionally reported in the country. Violent crime is very uncommon. Some cases of drug abuse are reported; alcohol abuse is a problem. But in general, drug trafficking is low. The most serious threat to Bhutan's security is terrorism by different terrorist groups from neighboring countries illegally camped in the nation.
Bhimkanta Buragohain, also called the Father of ULFA, was the political advisor and ideologue of the revolutionary organisation ULFA in Assam. He was also one of the founder leaders of the organisation.
Ashanta Baghphukan, , was the Organising Secretary of ULFA, the banned terrorist group of Assam.
Assam separatist movements refers to a series of multiple insurgent and separatist movements that are or have been operating the in Northeast Indian state of Assam. The conflict started in the 1970s following tension between the native indigenous Assamese people and the Indian government over alleged neglect, political, social, cultural, economic issues and increased levels of illegal immigration from Bangladesh. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of 12,000 United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants and 18,000 others.
Dewathang Gewog is a gewog of Samdrup Jongkhar District, Bhutan. Dewathang literally means "flat area of happiness". Dewathang is significant due to historical events associated with the area during British rule in India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The military cantonment was strategically important for theBhutanese army to conduct operation flush out in December 2003.
The military history of Bhutan begins with the Battle of Five Lamas in 1634, marking Bhutan's emergence as a nation under the secular and religious leadership of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. Before Bhutan emerged as a separate nation, it remained on the periphery of Tibetan military and political influence. The region that became Bhutan was host to several battles and waves of refugees from turmoil in Tibet. After its founding, Bhutan was invaded numerous times by outside forces, namely Tibetans, Mongols, and the British. Bhutan meanwhile invaded its traditional tributaries in Sikkim, Cooch Behar, and the Duars.
Lam Dorji was the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) from 1964 to 2005. He was succeeded by Batoo Tshering on 1 November 2005.
In December 2014, a series of attacks by militants resulted in the deaths of more than 76 people in India. The attacks took place in the Chirang, Sonitpur, and Kokrajhar districts on 23 December 2014. They were attributed to the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland.
Ingti Kathar Songbijit is a militant leader who once led the secessionist faction of National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) in North-East India.
The Insurgency in Meghalaya is a frozen armed conflict between India and a number of separatist rebel groups which was taking place in the state of Meghalaya. The Insurgency in Meghalaya is part of the wider Insurgency in Northeast India, and was fueled by demands of the Khasi, Synteng and Garo people for a separate state.
This is a timeline of the Insurgency in Northeast India, an ongoing armed conflict between the separatist rebels and the Indian government.
G Bidai is the Commander and Vice-president of the militant outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB). He is on the National Investigation Agency's (NIA)'s most wanted list, a primary counter-terrorist task force of India, with a bounty of Rupess 0.5 Million.
The August 2003 South Bhutan Clashes were a series of clashes between ULFA militants and unidentified gunmen in Southern Bhutan. The clashes left at least 11 people dead and dozens injured. While the incidents were scarcely reported at the time, many believe they were the first instances of Bhutanese strikes against ULFA militants in the country's south, and tensions between ULFA, allied Assamese separatist groups, and Bhutan would lead to a full-fledged conflict breaking out just four months later.
India 
ULFA 
NDFB 
KLO 
NSCN 
ATTF 
BLTF [2] [3] 
MULTA 
Jigme Singye Wangchuck 
Arabinda Rajkhowa 