Bhutanese to Create Counter-Terrorism Force

The Indian press has revealed that Bhutan is to set up a counter-terrorism force. The elite outfit is expected to be based on India’s National Security Guards (NSG), and will focus on counter-terrorism work, but also provide support to the local police where necessary. Funding saved from elsewhere will be used to set up the force, which is expected to start with about 180 personnel. No time-frame has been given for the creation of the force, but it comes in response to increasing security problems in parts of the country. These have been blamed on the United Revolutionary Front of Bhutan (URFB), which is believed to be the militant arm of the Nepal-based Communist Party of Bhutan.Significance: Bhutan’s leaders have been concerned about unrest along the border areas for some time, but now that this is seeping into the country, they have decided that concerted action is required.

Bhutan is particularly fearful of contagion from other security problems in the region, including leftist and separatist violence in north-eastern India and Nepalese Maoist sentiment. The latter has long underlined its resistance to repatriating Bhutanese refugees currently in Nepal, with the authorities fearful that they will return with radicalised ideas.

(By Claire Innes – 6 January 2009 – Global Insight Daily Analysis)