1,179 Bru militants lay down weapons in Hailakandi dist

Silchar: A total of 1,179 Bru (locally known as Reang) militants belonging to two proscribed outfits – the United Democratic Liberation Front of Barak Valley (UDLF-BV) and the Bru Revolutionary Army of Union (BRAU) — surrendered in Assam’s Hailakandi district on Monday. They laid down 350 firearms including 18 AK-series rifles, M16 rifles and more than 400 cartridges, DGP (special branch) Hiren Chandra Nath said.
Altogether 634 of the reformed rebels were from BRAU, led by Rajesh Charki, and 545 UDLF-BV militants, headed by Dhanyaram Reang, Nath said. They were engaged in extortion, abduction and terror activities in the Barak Valley areas of Assam bordering Mizoram for the past more than two decades.
“The peace process with these two groups had been in progress since 2017. There were some differences, but under the guidance of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, we could convince them to come to the negotiating table,” the DGP said.
“The other formalities and the rehabilitation process will begin soon. We will take the process forward in such a manner that no new militant group is formed in the area in future,” he added.
These militants, who were already in ceasefire with security forces, formally laid down their arms before the speaker of Assam legislative assembly Biswajit Daimary and the state water resources minister Pijush Hazarika at a function held at the playground of the Chalmers Memorial Higher Secondary School, Katlicherra in southern Hailakandi.
Daimary, the chief guest of the occasion, announced the formation of a council for the development of Bru community in the Barak Valley.