SoO camp raid exposes flouting of ground rules
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: April 11, 2023 -
SATURDAY’S raid on a designated camp of surrendered cadres belonging to some Kuki armed outfits has rung out the message that signing of a handful of agreements to cease hostility between government forces and insurgent groups is no surety for lasting peace in the state unless all the outlawed organisations as well as newly formed ones could be brought to the negotiating table.
While there is no doubt that successive governments in the state had been taking steps for proper rehabilitation of the surrendered militants and provide them training on diverse vocational schemes so as to start a new lease of life after completion of the rehabilitation period or till the final deal has been signed with the government, the raid and loot of different assortment of firearms and ammunition from the Horeb Camp under Henglep sub-division is a testament that there are armed groups which have firm resolve to wage war against the establishment.
The incident also signified that some of the active insurgent outfits are neither impressed with the peace gesture of the government nor with implementation part of the rehabilitation package, and that the security forces shall have to remain on high vigil.
As the raid by members of Kuki Independent Army (KIA) was reportedly led by its self-styled C-in-C Thangkhongam Haokip alias Davidson, who has been recently declared as wanted by the police and Rs 50,000 reward announced to whoever could provide inputs on his whereabouts, it could also be safely stated that the border regions remain highly vulnerable to recurrence of similar incidents.
Though the raid ended without any bloodshed, the fact that only four people, including the sentry on duty were at the camp exposes non-adherence to the surrender policy and the agreement signed thereof.
Since signing of the SoO pact by the Central and state governments with two conglomerates of Kuki militant outfits - Kuki National Organisations (KNO) and United Peoples’ Front (UPF) in 2008 and periodical extension of the peace deal, there had been numerous instances of violation of agreements by militants ranging from their involvement in harassing the public and assaulting or looting of truckers to the recent remarks by incumbent chief minister N Biren that leaders of SoO signatory groups are forcing villagers to cultivate poppies.
As per the protocol of SoO agreement, weapons surrendered by militants should be deposited with the Army and members of the surrendered outfits must stay inside designated camps.
However, there is strong suspicion that the surrender policy and implementation of basic rules have failed due to lack of effective control over the former insurgents as the camp raided in Churachandpur district was officially designated to house around 25 militants belonging to United Socialist Revolutionary Army, Kuki National Front, United Tribal Liberation Army and Kuki National Front (Zougam).
Thus, Saturday’s incident indicates that without proper rehabilitation packages from the government’s side and strict compliance with the rules by the cadres, the surrender policy wouldn’t be effective in containing both the insurgency movement and activities of armed anti-government elements, at-least in areas along the porous Indo-Myanmar border belt.
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