SIPHRO

Imphal, February 22, 2007: Till date, the villagers of Tuyang are under virtual bondage of Assam Rifles, with the security personnel restricting movement of the villagers beyond the village boundary. Moreover, the hapless villagers have been reeling under the threat of Assam Rifles that they would be driven off the village in case any assault is launched against security forces staying in the village.

The excesses of AR personnel against the innocent Tuyang villagers intensified after the gun fight between UNLF cadres and troops of 16 AR at a place between Hengshi and Tuyang village under Khenjoi block on February 4.

A team of reporters who went to the village today observed that the villagers have been subjected to much hardhips with an uncertain future staring at them.

Just after the gun fight which lasted for about half an hour between UNLF cadres and 16 AR on February 4, the AR men came to Tuyang village and severely thrashed all the men folk with canes and rifle butts, they conveyed.

One Captain Rocky who led the AR troops accused the villagers of supporting and helping UG cadres because of which the UG dared to attack them. With such unfounded allegation, the Captain threatened the villagers against venturing beyond the village. He said that all the villagers must seek permission from AR posted in Holenjang if they want to go outside the village, the villagers said.

Captain Rocky instructed the villagers to strike the tin roof in case any UG cadre come into the village. He left the village with a stern warning that all the villagers would be driven off from their homes in case there is any attack by UG cadres against security forces thereafter.

Because of the thrashing by AR personnel, vice-chief of the village Limkhopao and 66 year old Ngulngam sustained critical injuries.

While Limkhopao sustained injuries in the back and thigh, Ngulngam was hurt severely in the chest. Prohibited to seek medical attention beyond the village, both the victims have been enduring the excruciating pain by themselves.

Some other injured victims had left for Imphal for treatment in secret, they disclosed.

On February 6, an AR officer came to the village with a previously drafted statement declaring that there was no case of assault by Assam Rifles on the villagers. When the vice-chief of the village refused to sign on the statement, he was forced to sign on the statement saying the declaration was not related to the incident of February 4. It only said that there was no case of assault on the day (February 6), the officer said to the village vice-chief.

Only about 20/30 people including women and children could be seen in the village when media persons went there today as greater number of the villagers have fled from their homesteads unable to bear excesses of security forces.

With the ban on their movement, the villagers are facing starvation within a few days. Adding to their misery, the AR personnel are prohibiting villagers to procure food grains and vegetables from the fields.

In what could be termed as forced labour, the men folks are being used to build bunkers, procure fire woods and others works for AR. For all their labour, the villagers are paid neither in cash nor kind.

On account of the constant atrocity committed against them by Assam Rifles, the villagers were really terrified and felt miserable with their own lives.

To ward off such misfortune, the villagers appealed to all UG groups not to lay ambush in places adjacent or near to civilian populated villages.

At present, AR personnel come daily to the village in search of UG cadres. Moreover, Jangkholun, elder brother of Tuyang Church secretary Jangkhosang and younger brother Thangjamang were virtually under house arrest as both of them have been prohibited from venturing outside the village by AR besides threatening to pick them up in case of any assault by UG cadres.

It is said that Thangjamang is a married man, settled at Sarang near Chakpikarong. He came to Tuyang village to visit his elder brothers before the incident of gun fight.

In connection with the reported cases of AR excesses, a team of Manipur Police came to the village yesterday.
The police team was told the detailed story of the hardships and suffering being endured by the villagers at the hands of AR, the villagers informed.

Source: The Sangai Express