COMMENTARIES
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Fence Eating the Crop: Army Deserters of Sri Lanka
N Manoharan · 30 Dec, 2003 · #1260 · Commentary
Attention!
Desertion in the Sri Lankan Army is a serious issue for the island’s security. As of October 2003, there were 49,143 deserters, including 623 officers, in the island; this constitutes one-third of the Sri Lankan Army’...
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What They Say: A Comparative Chart of IPCS and CFR Reports on India-US Relations
N Manoharan · 31 Dec, 2003 · #1259 · Commentary
Elements for Comparison
IPCS Report
(February 2003)
CFR Report
(October 2003)
Focus
Ind...
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Bhutan?s Offensive against the Terrorists
Anand Kumar · 28 Dec, 2003 · #1258 · Commentary
Some insurgent organisations have been operating in northeast India from their camps and hideouts in Bhutan for over twelve years now. But no body seriously thought that Bhutan, a Buddhist country with a small army of about 6000 would go for milit...
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Bodoland Territorial Council Formed (Northeast Regional Media Survey: 1-15 December 2003)
Bibhu Prasad Routray · 28 Dec, 2003 · #1257 · Commentary
BTC comes into operation
The surrender en masse of the militants of the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) and the subsequent formation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) on 6 December, dominated the media headlines throughout the fo...
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Bhutan: Timing an Assault
Wasbir Hussain · 23 Dec, 2003 · #1256 · Commentary
When the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) and the Royal Bhutan Guards (RBG) rained 81 mm mortars on the well-fortified camps of the Indian separatist militants in the kingdom?s southern jungles and launched a full-scale assault on the morning of December...
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Bangladesh as India's Internal Security Concern
Praveen Kumar · 18 Dec, 2003 · #1255 · Commentary
Prompt refutation by Bangladesh of an intelligence report, saying that Bangladesh has become "a haven for Islamic terrorists in South Asia" as "far from the reality on the ground" notwithstanding, India should weigh the same ...
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Anniversary of Constitution Observed (Nepal Media Survey 1-30 November 2003)
P G Rajamohan · 18 Dec, 2003 · #1254 · Commentary
Prime Minister’s reform programs
The Kathmandu Post (4 November) in its lead news quoted the Prime Minister’s 15-point reform programme, including a civil-military campaign, a “unified command” to tackle the Maoists,...
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Sandwiched: Plight of the Pnars
Bibhu Prasad Routray · 18 Dec, 2003 · #1253 · Commentary
Five thousand Khasi-Pnar tribals have fled into Sahsniang in Jainita hills of Meghalaya as a result of the atrocities inflicted upon them by the United Peoples’ Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and the Karbi National Volunteers (KNV) militants...
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Ruckus over Referendum III: Chinese Reactions
Jabin T Jacob · 18 Dec, 2003 · #1252 · Commentary
For China, the Taiwanese debate over passage of the controversial referendum law has come as a spoiler in its warming relations with Washington. The “war on terrorâ€&Ac...
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Ruckus over Referendum II: American Dilemma
Jabin T Jacob · 18 Dec, 2003 · #1251 · Commentary
What exactly is the US up to regarding Taiwan? The contradictory signals emanating from Washington have all the hallmarks of a tussle at the highest levels of decision-making in the US. The anger on the Chinese side over Taiwanese actions,...