One killed at Tamenglong district, students’ association condemns

Dimapur, Sep. 17 (EMN): The Thadou Students’ Association, Jiribam and Tamenglong Branch (TSA-J&T) has condemned the brutal attack and killing at Peniel Peace Camp, a camp of UTLA/UTLF at Tatbung, Tamenglong district on Sep.17, 2017 at around 12:10 am. The UTLA/UTLF under the leadership of SK Thadou had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Govt. of India and Govt. of Manipur on July 17, 2013 and they surrendered all their arms and weapons to the government, stated a press note from the TSA-J&T. To maintain the law and order is the responsibility of the government and whoever abrogates the state of peace and tranquillity by killing, murdering, arms movement, etc. must be strictly dealt with by the government, it stated. If the trend continues to be like this, none of the armed revolutionary groups will come forward for negotiation and the trust deficit with the government will escalate. “Mention may be made that the Peniel Camp was raided on July 27, 2017 by a team of Police led by Superintendent of Police, Jiribam District wherein all arms and ammunition in the camp were seized. Subsequently, the camp was attacked this morning by unidentified gunmen, killing three people who were staying at the camp on the spot. Such attack is inhumane, uncivilized, barbaric and unwarranted”, the students’ organisation maintained. The UTLA/UTLF being a surrendered group, the government should have provided adequate rehabilitation, safety and security to the cadres and their families. In light of the above circumstances, the government must provide ex-gratia to the deceased family and take up immediate stern actions to prevent recurrence of such preventable incidents in future, appealed the students’ organisation in a press note. The gruesome incident would have not occurred had the government been committed to the Memorandum of Understanding it had signed with the group for a peaceful solution to the problem, it further added.