Imphal, April 17 2009: A day after the Army authority clarified that no civilians have ever been used as 'human shield' in the ongoing Operation Summer Storm launched by the Red Shield Division, the Working Committee of Apunba Lup has accused the Army of using the civilians of the area as human shield, as forced labour and deprived their right to life and called for immediate withdrawal of the operation.

The Working Committee of Apunba Lup stated that several villagers of the area including children and women have been terrorised by the continued shelling of bombs and gunfire.

It has also rendered villagers to halt their daily cultivation and fishing activities and were driven to nearby relief camps at Arong, Ithai and Laphupat Tera.

The press statement jointly signed by coordinators of the Lup, A Langdon, L Ropen, Phulindro Konsam and Sunil Karam also said that the operation seems a deliberate attempt to exterminate the endangered Sangais.

The statement charged that civilian areas have been bombarded in the name of operation against the militants while contending that it also has deprived the right to life of the people and 'displacing' them which is against International Humanitarian and Human Rights law especially the Geneva Conventions.

Calling for the immediate ending of the operation, the WCAL also demanded for the total repeal of AFSPA from Manipur.

The WCAL coordinators also seek aids from concerned individuals for the inmates of relief camps at Khordak, Nongmaikhong, Arong, and Tera Laphupat villages.