SIPHRO

Imphal, March 23, 2006: Welcoming the initiatives taken up by TIPS and other voluntary organisations to constitute a Fact Finding Team to probe the allegations of mass rape of Hmar women by cadres of the MPA and the KCP, UNLF today said that it would extend full support to the Fact Finding Team.

In a statement, the outfit said that so far several inconsistent versions of ‘rape’ stories and fluctuating number of ‘rape victims’ have been reported in the local media as well as in outside based papers.

Under the circumstances it is of prime importance to establish whether the said rape was actually committed or not.

Merely parading the ‘rape victims’ cannot be taken as sufficient proof that rape has been committed, said the outfit.

The statement further said that no ‘rape victims’ were paraded before Governor Dr SS Sidhu when he visited Parbung recently as was asserted by some NGOs.

Taking the circumstances into consideration, UNLF appealed to all the other NGOs, particularly the Hmar Inpui, Hmar Women’s Association, Naga Mothers’ Union, Manipur, ATSUM and ANSAM to join and co-operate with the Fact Finding Team instead of outrightly rejecting the proposal for the formation of the Team on the ground of their ‘accepted fact.’ There is no reason why champions of ethnic human rights should refuse to co-operate, added UNLF.

The outfit also reiterated that capital punishment would be given if any of its cadres are found guilty by the Fact Finding Team and added that it would also do all it can to rehabilitate the victims of such crime.

The ATSUM had earlier turned down the proposal of TIPS and other NGOs to form the Fact Finding Team insisting that the facts have already established and it makes no sense to subject the victims to further questioning which will only add to their trauma.

Source: The Sangai Express