TODAY -
IM-AR impasse settled, cadres leave Siroy camp
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, February 02 2009: The half month old standoff between the Assam Rifles and the NSCN (IM) over a camp at Siroy in Ukhrul district finally came to over today after the cadres of the later allow to leave the place and moved to its designated camp.

The development is a sigh of relief to the villagers of the Siroy village in particular and for the people of the Ukhrul district who have been kept under worrisome condition for the last 15 days from January 18 .

Twenty-five male cadres of the NSCN(IM) with their weapons and ammunitions have been escorted to its one of the nearest designated this morning at around 10 am.

The cadres accompanied by the representatives of the Co-ordination Committee on Siroy Siege by the Assam Rifles and members of the Monitoring Committee of the cease fire ground rule were escorted by the troops of Assam Rifles, a police officer of Ukhrul district said.

Some women cadres who were also in the siege camp were however leave behind while decamping, the police officer said.

In which designated camp, the cadres are going to drop could not be confirmed as officials refused to disclosed it but source hinted that they would be drop in one of the camp open inside Manipur even though these camps are not officially recognized.

The PRO, PIB Defense Wing col.Rajesh Mishra confirmed the leaving of the NSCN (IM) cadres from the Siroy village located some 15 kilometer away from the Manipur's Ukhrul district headquarter.

However, he did not disclose the detail of the condition that led to the removal of the cadres from the place after 15 day of keeping siege by the troops of 17 Assam Rifles.

The cadres left the place after an agreement was brought about during a negotiation between the Assam Rifles and the NSCN(IM) under the initiative of the Coordination Committee on Siroy Siege by the Assam Rifles, a committee formed by several civil bodies in Ukhrul district and other Naga base bodies in Manipur with an objective to bring an end to the war like situation which emerged after AR keep encircle a house lodging by the NSCN(IM) cadres.

The impasse that erupted when a guest house in Siroy village housing by the cadres of the NSCN(IM) with arms and ammunition with a view to set up a camp there was found cordon-off by the troops of 17 Assam Rifles posting nearby the Siroy village in the early hour of January 18 .

The situation in the village worsen after the NSCN(IM) refused to decamp the place even though the Assam Rifles authority provides safe passage to the NSCN(IM) cadres as one time measures provided they moved out with their weapons to any of the designated camps within 78-hour which expired on January 26 last.

Assam Rifles also fenced the surrounding of the camp with barbwires.

On what condition the NSCN(IM) cadres allowed to leave the camp in total contrast to its earlier stand could not be immediately confirmed but sources said that it was due to the interference of the Union ministry of home affairs.

Villagers who have been suffering from the stand off who somewhat relief after Assam Rifles provides foods and other to the cadres in the camp were now got total relief.

Assam Rifles based on a request made by NSCN (IM) cadres supply water and food in packets to cadres confined at Shiroi on humanitarian grounds from January 31 .

"Our worried had finally come to an end," said Ngairakpam, a villager while praising the almighty.

On the other hand, decrying the move of the Assam Rifles keeping encircle the NSCN(IM) and demanding ending of the stand off peacefully with an amicable solution, people in Naga dominated districts of Manipur, Chandel, Senapati and Tamenglong, people in their hundreds stage sit-in protest at the district headquarters.





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