NE India a sensitive area, foreigners arrested could cause trouble: Ex-envoy

Former Indian Ambassador Vidya Bhushan Soni said the recently opened North East is a sensitive area. He suggested the arrested Ukrainians and US citizen could be mercenaries hired to create disruptions and destabilize the region, linking it to instability in Myanmar.

Vidya Bhushan Soni, Former Indian Ambassador to Ukraine, said on Wednesday that the North East has been made accessible to foreigners only recently, and earlier it was out of bounds, mainly because the local government there was not able to control the area. Soni, while talking about Ukrainians and US citizen being arrested from the area said that it was possible that those people would create disruptions.

A Sensitive Region, Historically Out of Bounds

"Well, first of all, let me tell you the area we are talking about in our northeast is a very sensitive area. And for decades, immediately after independence, that area was out of bounds for foreigners, for the reason that, I mean, there was a possibility of somebody making some trouble there. So it was for that reason it was stopped," he said.

Cross-Border Instability and Destabilization Efforts

Soni further said that across the border, especially in Myanmar, things are becoming unstable, not just because of Rohingyas, but also because of the fact that the local government has not been able to control that area. "But as things have improved and their integration has become much closer, we thought those permissions can be given on a piece by piece basis. So that's why it became possible for foreigners to visit there. But now what is happening is there is a certain amount of tension that has been created for various reasons. I won't go into that. But the important thing is across the border, in Myanmar in particular, things are becoming a little bit hot, not just because of Rohingyas, but also because of the fact that the local government has not been able to control that area," he said.

Soni told ANI that miscreants are trying to smuggle from both sides of the border. "So lot of people are trying to smuggle across both sides. From their side, they want to come inside Indian territory, try to form in trouble, incite local tribal people against the central government. From this side, also, there are certain interested elements who go across and try to destabilize situation in Myanmar against the present regime. So that was the situation," he said.

The 'Hired Contractor' Theory

Soni said that usually the governments do not want to involve themselves with such people, so the Americans and others have started to hire contractors. "But in this present case, what we do find is the presence of six Ukrainians, as you mentioned, and there is an American national who was probably herding them together and bringing them here. To my mind, in the present day world, you find that these destabilizing situations happen and the governments do not want to involve themselves directly in order that if their agents were caught, then they will be traced back to their local, to their own government. So to avoid that, I think the Americans and others have started to practice what is called hiring contractors," he said.

According to Soni, these contractors are untraceable, and are given money in exchange for the work. "So they are hired for a particular contractor, they're given all kinds of facilities, including money and stuff. They're given the mandate, what is to be done and what is not to be done. And so that is the methodology which is being used. To my mind, that's exactly what has happened when these seven people cross the cross. So you cannot trace them back, but I am sure that they're not doing on their own," he said.

The former envoy feels, this is not healthy for India considering the sensitivity of the matter. "There is somebody who has hired them or who has detailed them to undertake that kind of activity. So that is not something which is very healthy and particularly from our point of view because of the sensitivity of the matter. You asked me the question about the presence of the Ukrainians," he said.

The Ukrainian Connection

He said that in Ukraine, the government is unstable, and especially youngsters take up whatever work they get for money and hence became involved in this. "To my mind, they seem to be those very people who have been hired kind of mercenaries. Their job is to do whatever there is to be done. And they go there with this definite mandate and then finish the job. As you know, there is such an unstable government in Ukraine. There are no jobs. People, youngsters are without any occupation. whenever an opportunity arrives and somebody offers them certain contracts, then they're obviously willing to undertake that kind of responsibility. This happening in Africa. It's happening in other parts of the world," he said.

Soni said that through these people, there was attempt to destabilize the region from whichever side that is. "So to my mind, that is possible, that these six people who have been apprehended while crossing over, they are the ones who may have been hired to undertake that kind of a job. And that is illegal. And so obviously, when they are caught apprehended, you have to investigate. And NIA already has come up with informal first reports that, yes, indeed, there was attempt to destabilize the region from whichever side that is. So their apprehension is absolutely within our laws and regulations. So there is nothing illegal or wrong in their apprehension," he said.

Legality of the Arrests

Soni further said that India would not unnecessarily victimize Ukraine until it had something solid. "First of all, why were they there in that region without any permission? Because even if you were to go to those areas, you need prior permission, which was not available on their person. So that's the reason why they have been caught and appropriate action will be taken. It's not as if they are victimized. We have very good relations with Ukraine, so why should we victimize their own people unless our laws are flouted and they have done something which is illegal as part of our system," he said.

NIA Confirms Arrests and Charges

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested six Ukrainians and one US citizen for allegedly supporting ethnic war groups in Myanmar by supplying weapons, terrorist hardware and training them.

The accused have been identified as Matthew Aaron Van Dyke (US citizen), Hurba Petro (Ukrainian citizen), Slyviak Taras (Ukranian Citizen), Ivan Sukmanovskyi (Ukranian citizen), Stefankiv Marian (Ukranian Citizen), Honcharuk Maksim (Ukranian Citizen), and Kaminskyi Viktor (Ukrainian citizen). They have been arrested in a case lodged under Section 18 (Terror Conspiracy) and BNS. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)