Imphal, February 23, 2007: Debunking the report published under the caption, “Tuyang village under AR bondage,” the PRO of the Assam Rifles in a statement today said that the report was baseless and false and carried with the aim to malign the image of the security force.
The PRO said that Samtal region was under the control of the UNLF since 2002 but sustained operations by the 26 Sector AR forced the UNLF to withdraw towards Myanmar.
The wordings of the report clearly indicate the rhetorics of one of the proscribed underground groups for the reversal suffered at the hands of the AR troops, claimed the statement.
Harassing the villagers is not in the interest of the AR troops, asserted the statement and added that as Friends of the People, it is the aim of AR to provide a safe and secure environment to the people. This is evident from the fact that a large number of people from the area came out to exercise their franchise rights.
During the occupation of the UNLF, the villagers were forced to grow poppy plants, claimed the PRO and added that now AR troops have destroyed the crops. The report was wrong and no incidents as reported ever took place, asserted the PRO further.
Source: The Sangai Express
See also:
- Environmental Clearance of Tipaimukh Dam by MoEF (October 31st, 2008)
- Chakka bandh on Sep 18 against Tipaimukh dam (September 17th, 2008)
- 1 lakh Manipur villagers hit by bamboo flowering (September 2nd, 2008)
- Heavy security to be deployed on 99 km stretch of road to Tipaimukh dam (July 29th, 2008)
- Army launches Tipaimukh vigil (April 30th, 2008)