SIPHRO

Imphal, February 14, 2007: Contending that recent successful assaults by MPA cadres on security forces at parts of Chandel and Ukhrul districts have demoralised the morale of the troops, the UNLF alleged that due to frustration and ‘unstable mental state’ the security personnel have turned their ire upon innocent villagers of Tungjoy in Dingpi area.

claiming that as a consequence of a number of casualties among security personnel following an MPA attack at the L Bungjoy camp on February 11, personnel of 16 Assam Rifles stationed at Holenjang camp went berserk and targeted the villagers of Tungjoy, a UNLF statement issued by its senior publicity officer Ksh Yoiheiba accused the AR men of mercilessly thrashing the villagers without any rhyme or reason.

“They (AR) took the villagers at ransom usurping the small agricultural lands available for setting up their camps, robbed valuable timbers from the forests by wanton deforestation of the village areas causing water scarcity thereby imposing immense hardships to the villagers,” said Yoiheiba adding that the villagers were ultimately pressured to flee elsewhere.

Belittling rebuttal issued by the PRO, after the villagers highlighted their grievances through the media, on the matter as ‘usual’, the Yoiheiba further countered that ‘to cover up their (AR) inhuman and barbaric actions against the poor villagers they minced no words in finding fault with the villagers for growing poppy plants at the behest of UNLF’.

Dismissing propaganda of the Indian security forces as ‘sheer nonsense’, Yoiheiba also opined that security forces are in constant fear of losing their lives as MPA have shown that it can strike against them anytime and anywhere in Manipur.

Source: The Sangai Express