Kohima: Although visits by North Eastern
insurgent leaders to China were nothing new, there was no
concrete evidence with the Centre that the neighbouring
country was providing official support to them in recent
times, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said here on Wednesday.
"There is nothing new about militant leaders visiting
China or other countries. Anyone can visit China as a tourist
by procuring a visa. Such visits do not pose a threat to us,"
Pillai told reporters here.
About the recent reported visits of NSCN(IM) leaders
and ULFA leader Paresh Baruah to China, he said there was a
mechanism to deal with the neighbouring country on such
matters when evidence of official Chinese hands were
established.
Militants visited China, Myanmar and the Chittagong
Hill Tracts in Bangladesh for procuring arms from smugglers or
agents since they were easily available there, he said.
He said that even the Chinese authorities might be
unaware of such clandestine activities. "So far no evidence of
official support from China to NE militants has been found."
The small arms market was so big that buying weapons
from countries like China, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan was
no big deal, Pillai said. "Even in India one can procure a
small arm easily from smugglers or arm dealers."
Bureau Report
