384 slain in Maoist violence in 2007

NEW DELHI, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The New Delhi-based Asian Center for Human Rights says 384 people were killed in India in Maoist violence this year.

The figure includes 129 civilians, 162 security forces and 93 Maoists.

The highest numbers of killings were reported from Chhattisgarh, 208, followed by Andhra Pradesh, 59, Jharkhand, 44, and Bihar, 28.

“Chhattisgarh accounted for 54 percent of the total killings as a direct consequence of the Salwa Judum campaign, which made Chhattisgarh the epicenter of the Naxal conflict,” said Suhas Chakma, director of ACHR.

Salwa Judum is a campaign launched against Naxalites by the residents of Chhattisgarh state. Naxalites is the Indian term for Maoists, named for the village of Naxalbari where the movement began.