Burma Shelters Mastermind of Arakanese and Karen Rebel Leader Assassination

Dhaka: The Burmese government has been sheltering the Indian military intelligence officer who masterminded the killing of six Arakanese and Karen ethnic rebel leaders in cold blood in 1998 on Landfall Island in the Andaman Archipelago in India.

Former Burmese military intelligence officer Colonel San Pwint, who is currently imprisoned at Tharat Prison, reportedly told his close inmates that Colonel Biswajit Singh Grewal has been given safe shelter and business opportunities along with his family in Maymyo in Mandalay Division. Colonel Biswajit Singh Grewal plotted the assassination of six Arakanese and Karen rebel leaders, including Bo Raza from the National United Party of Arakan.

Bo Raza and other NUPA leaders along with Indian army officers in one Indian army camp in Mizoram State, India. This photo was taken by NUPA in 1996.

"Indian intelligence officer Grewal has been given shelter along with his family with the reward of one distillery and one dairy farm for his successful cunning plot to kill the Arakanese and Karen rebel leaders, including Bo Raza, and for imprisoning their soldiers in jails in India," said one of the inmates who was recently released and had a close relationship with Colonel San Pwint in Tharat Prison.

Previous reports also suggested that Grewal was sheltering with his family in Mandalay under the auspices of the Burmese military regime.

The inmate source said Colonel San Pwint reported Grewal has been living in Maymyo in Mandalay along with his family and has received business rewards from the Burmese regime since he fled into Burma after the incident.

The incident happened in February 1998 when Grewal lured forces from the Arakan Army, the armed wing of NUPA led by Bo Raza, and the Karen National Union based on the Thai-Burma border with fake bonds and the false pretense of providing a secret naval base on Landfall Island in the Andamans.

After staying for a night to celebrate the warm welcome of their arrival on the island by Indian forces, Indian soldiers killed six of their leaders - Bo Raza, Major Saw Tun, Major Ran Naing, Captain Lin Zan Khaing, Phado Mu Lwe, and Captain Soe Myint - and detained the remaining 34 others on charges of gun-running in what Indian forces called "Operation Leech".

It was also learned that among the assassinated leaders, Major Saw Tun and Major Ran Naing were coming together with the military officer from the Indian army headquarters in the capital of New Delhi to receive Bo Raza and the others coming from Thailand.

Grewal also managed to kill Nyi Nyi Kyaw, the in-charge of the NUPA office in Bangkok, Thailand, after the assassination, with the aim of destroying all documents and photos, and evidence of his plot to kill the Arakanese leaders and imprison their forces who were fighting against the Burmese regime for democracy and human rights in their homeland.

Additionally, the Indian army had secretly taken Ran Naing, an Arakanese rebel, and another Karen rebel who were skilled at sea navigation, from the 36 detainees jailed in Port Blair Prison on Andaman Island and executed them.

The remaining 34 Arakanese and Karen freedom fighters were finally released by Indian authorities on 13 May of this year after 13 years in prison.

According to the released fighters, Grewal had betrayed not only them but also the nation of India, which is considered the largest democratic power in the region.

copy from Narinjara News

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