Maoist
Rebels' Arms Supply Routes
|
|
War
in Nepal: Facts on Maoists |
|
|
The
People's War in Nepal: Maoists' Strategy |
Smuggling
weaponry from India and Tibet |
 |
Army
intelligence say that the Maoists are smuggling in explosives and arms
from the Indian and Tibetan borders. The Maoists' activities in the region
have increased in recent days, but we are prepared.
The
primary route used by the rebels is the Belauri checkpoint of Kanchanpur
district and Melauli checkpoint at the border of Dadeldhura and Baitadi
districts. The Maoist rebels' current route for smuggling weapons and explosives
from the Indian border is from Belauri (Kanchanpur) check-point of Kanchanpur
district via Jogbudha (Dadeldhura) and Melauli (Baitadi), then to Bajura
district and finally to Achham district. The Maoists are purchasing
explosives in nearby India. Army officials official siad that the Maoists
are also smuggling arms and explosives from the Tibetan border via Jharganda
and Taklakot (Humla).
There
is a high concentration of Maoists in the remote Gokuleshwor VDC, the area
that borders Darchula and Baitadi districts; Purchungehat VDC and Kuwakot
VDC in Baitadi district, Ramaroshan VDC and Binayak VDC of Achham district
and Ghagal Khimadi VDC at the border of Doti and Kailali districts and
Melauli (Baitadi).
 |
When
the Maoiste are planning a major attack, they have to transport weapons
and explosives to the area, they want to target. Before larger attacks
the Maoists are smuggling weapons from the Indian States of Uttar Pradesh
and Uttaranchal to Nepal. In the eastern part of the country the weapons
are imported from Bihar (India). The Maoists are also fighting a
propaganda war and spreading rumours of larger attacks. |
The Maoists are
warnig local people not to move around army vehicles. Those defying Maoist
orders are warned of physical actions.
The
Maoists have been travelling casually across the Nepal-India border in
far west Nepal. The rebels smuggled large numbers of camouflage uniforms
through Taratal and Kotiaghat of Bardiya district. The
Maoists openly boast that they use the same route to regularly bring in
weapons and explosives and transport them through the Terai jungles into
the hills. Some militants get militia training in secret bases in India
and others use the same route to take out wounded cadre to India.
Change
of smuggling routes |
The
Maoists, during the ceasefire period, smuggled in arms and ammunitions
from Indian territories and other countries. Most
of the arms were brought in from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh of India.
The arms were purchased in the open weapon market of Lucknow, the
state capital of Uttar Pradesh. After the breakdown of the ceasefire the
Maoists have altered the arms smuggling routes for security reasons.
Before
the ceasefire, arms were being smuggled through western Terai districts.
Since a couple of months, the Maoists have mostly been using northern points
of western Nepal to bring in arms. The entry points include Muchu and
Taklakot of Humla district, and other places of Darchula and Baitadi
districts. |
|
Darchula
along the Maoists' supply route |
Arms
are being smuggled into India, yet they confirmed that the arms are usually
Chinese and Russian made. A rebel's statement said: "Usually we get arms
through Nepal and sometimes through Tibet, but our main procurer are ULFA
and LTTE. here are so many arms dealer all over the world. They are sitting
in China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and even in India. I am not in
the position to say much on this subject."
The
chief weapons used by the Maoists are not big machine-guns but homemade
guns, pistols, land explosives, pressure-cooker bombs and other small arms.
The
bulk of small arms smuggled into Nepal come from India's bordering illegal
arms bazaar. Weapons like katuwa (homemade guns), bharuwa (muzzle loader),
12-bore guns, 22-bore guns, air guns, rifles and shotguns were easily brought
into Nepal, mostly by criminals and sold to Maoist militants. The raw materials
for socket bombs and land explosives that have seriously injured and killed
many civilians were smuggled from India.
Chitwan
N.P along the Maoists' supply route |
The
Madi valley is the ideal guerrilla terrain surrounded by jungle on three
sides and just a hill away from Bihar. To the north, the rebel supply line
passes through the National Park, across the East-West Highway, past
Pithuwa, up to the Chepang Hills, into Dhading and Gorkha.
Maoist
rebels are seizing arms from security forces |
The
Maoist rebel (so called People's Liberation Army PLA) successfully ambushed
security forces. The PLA captured large numbers of SLRs, M-16s, LMGs, SMGs,
M-36 grenades and heavy quantity of ammunitions from those sites. The classic
Maoist strategy is to replenish their strength with the arms captured from
the security forces.
|