Free Lachit Bordoloi

Dear Sir,

On February 11, 2008, Lachit Bodoloi, adviser, Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS), a human right organization of Assam and the convener of the Peoples Committee for Peace Initiatives in Assam (PCPIA) was arrested by Dibrugargh district Assam police personnel at Moranhat. Mr. Bordoloi was coming from Tinsukia district of upper Assam after attending a public meeting. Later he was shifted to Guwhati. Prior to his arrest, on midnight of February 9, 2008, Guwahati police personnel raided Bordoloi's rented flat in Guwahati, where his wife and daughter were staying alone. He had left earlier that day for the meeting at Tinsukia district in upper Assam. The police personnel seized his laptop and other material but did not offer a seizure form to his spouse. Media report says that he is in police custody under charges of planning to hijack a plane and is having link with ULFA.

It is pertinent to mention here that Lachit Bordoloi is a member of the Peoples Consultative Group (PCG) that was set up in September 2005 to initiate discussions between the government of India and United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). He is senior human right activist of North east India and also journalist. He was the editor of vernacular weekly for a while.

We are convinced that his detention is meant to silence the voice of civil society of Assam and is part of a larger campaign waged by the state to malign and obstruct on going peace process between Government of India and ULFA. We are also convinced that as long as he is police custody he is danger of losing his life. We urge all democratic sections of society, and those who believe in rights and justice to extend their solidarity to demand:

a) Immediate release of Mr. Lachit Bordoloi
b) To drop all the charges against Mr. Lachit Bordoloi
c) Government of India to initiate meaningful dialogue to end present political conflict of Assam

Yours sincerely