T K Singh
In another bilateral interaction between India and China, the sixth round of Strategic Dialogue between the two nations was held in Beijing on 14 April 2014. During the event, out of other socio-cultural and economic issues, China highlighted its concern on the common threat from Al-Qaeda and Taliban. This new development hopefully provides a significant expectation to India for a reliable counter terrorism partnership from China. While attentions on the danger of such potential terror groups are appreciative, it is doubtful if China could truly help India in curbing terrorism especially occurring in India’s North East (NE) region when the former has been covertly or overtly supporting the movement for decades.
Chinese concentration on Al-Qaeda and Taliban was perhaps the sudden outcome of recent terror attack carried out by 10 assailants at a renowned railway station in Khunmin city, Yunan Province, China on 01 March 2014. Unlike other terror incidents, the attack that took 33 lives and injured 130 was interestingly carried out with powerful knives, without any sign of using guns and explosives. Chinese authorities alleged that it was an “organised, premeditated violent terrorist attack” perpetrated by the Islamic elements that have links with the banned East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), fighting for the independence of Muslim Uygur dominated Xinjiang province (bordering Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Afghanistan) in China.
The fidayeen like assault was believed to be the first ETIM mega terror operation outside the Xinjiang province (Theguardian, 02 March 2014). The nature of Kunming attack, which some even considered as “Chinese 9/11” was someway similar to 26/11 (2008) massacre where equally a group of 10 Pakistani terrorists stormed crowded places including railway station in Mumbai killing 166 people and injured 300. Out of the Kunming 10 assailants, four were eliminated and one was arrested by security forces, and others were escaped. Like a skilful fidayeen operative, all the attackers apparently came with the motive to kill as much as they can before they escape or die in encounter with security forces. The causality figure would have been extremely high, if the ultras have used guns and explosives, like it was in Mumbai.
China intended to control radical Uighurs in trouble Xinjiang that have links with non state actors in Central Asian region/neighbours, supported by Al-Qaeda and Taliban. Concerning the menace of Uighur extremists and claiming them even trained by Osama Bin Laden, apparently China established the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) to fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism in 2004 under Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a politico-economic and military joint organisation of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The main task of RATS is to create a terror related data bank, gather, analyse and disseminate information/inputs among the competent authorities engaged in anti-terrorist activities. India along with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Mongolia is also the observer states of SCO.
Like China, India is seriously concerned about external threats from Al-Qaeda and Taliban, apart from its domestic outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir, North East and Naxal affected regions. Taliban under the supervision of Pakistan Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has been involved in attacking Indian infrastructure and properties including Indian Embassy and construction sites/companies in Afghanistan. Subsequently, the outfit also provides training to India based terrorist groups including Indian Mujahideen (IM). Recently, the arrest of IM leader Zia Ur Rehman aka Wakas (a Pakistani national) in Rajasthan on 22 March 2014 exposed about 30 cadres from Uttar Pradesh who were recruited to Taliban and fought along Pak-Afgan border. IM has also strong affiliation with Pakistan based Tehreek-e-Taliban. While this home-grown outfit (IM) has been trying to become a Taliban like organisation with global reach, India is also worried for the influx of Afgan/Pakistani Taliban in its territory after the withdrawal of US troops from the region in 2014.
As the threat of Taliban looms large in India, menace from Al-Qaeda cannot be ruled out. The later has India Chapter known as Al-Qaeda-al-Hind (AQAH) with strong association of IM. One of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheets suggested that IM founding member Riyaz Bhatkal had met Al-Qaeda operatives in tribal belts of Pak-Afghan border and made agreement to train the home-grown cadres. Consequently, Al-Qaeda modules were established in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh with aims to fight for Rohingya Muslims (Myanmar) and against Jews settlers in India, along with intentions to attack the country even with nuclear warheads. Intelligence sleuth calculated approximately 300 Al-Qaeda affiliates are functioning as sleeper cells in Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Patna, while some of them are active in abroad (Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey) even fighting in current Syria conflict.
As terrorism has been a common threat to both India and China, joint military exercise related to anti terror operation has been carried out over the past few years. However, due to mutual indifference there were gaps in between. It was first in 2007 when soldiers of both sides participated in military drills in Kunming, Yunnan province to exchange anti-terror experiences and enhance mutual understanding between the two Armies. Subsequently, in 2008, the second round of exercise took place in Belgaum, Karnataka. Thereafter, there was a pause for four years as India suspended military cooperation with China because of a dispute led by issuance of stapled visa to Jammu and Kashmir residents by the Chinese authorities in 2009. However, India agreed to resume the practice after China quietly withdrew the visa policy in the months after former Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to India in December 2010. The latest exercise with special focus on counter terrorism was conducted in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China in November 2013.
The Kunming dialogue was likely to be followed by a high level military talk between the Deputy Chief of General Staff of China and the Director General of Military Operation (DGMO) of India on the boundary issue in New Delhi on 22 April 2014. Though it was not confirmed, Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan is also expected to visit India in the end of 2014.
While these new cooperative dialogues and exercises are welcomed, it may take time for China to stop its traditional support to militants especially operating in North East India. Chinese involvement in such activities was well exposed in the classic case of 10 trucks heavily loaded with arms meant for NE insurgents, allegedly originated from Hong Kong were confiscated in Chittagong, Bangladesh on 2 April 2004. At the same time, the Chief of United Liberation Front of Asom-Indipendent (ULFA-I), Paresh Barua is reported to be hiding currently in Ruili (near Kunming), Yunnan Province. To become a reliable counter terrorism partner, China should not provide sanctuaries or arms to elements of India’s concerns. Nonetheless, the increase of strategic ties which has been observed perhaps after the historic exchange visits of two Prime Ministers in 2010 (first time after 1957) should be taken seriously and converted into actions. To create a terror free zone in the region, any anti terror exercise and strategic dialogue between the two nations should be continued without failing to take implementations.
(The author is an Assistant Professor at the Department of National Security Studies at the Central University of Jammu)
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