July 13 Moreh attack : TSA's reply to KNO/KNA's allegations against TSA

H. Kotlenphai, the 5th August 2018

Thadou Students' Association - Tengnoupal and Chandel (TSA-T&C) would like to categorically refute the wild and baseless allegations of the Kuki National Organisation/Army (KNO/KNA) in the media on on August 5, 2018, linking TSA with UKLF as totally baseless and unfounded. Such allegations without any evidence or basis are nothing but a mere attempt out of frustration to defame TSA and to divert the news of their terror and criminal act on innocent children and civilians - the July 13 Moreh terror attack.

TSA is not for or against any particular militant groups, be it KNA or UKLF or any other groups. TSA will always stand up for justice, freedom and welfare of the people. The fact that TSA seeks justice for victims of crime perpetrated by a particular militant group, sadly the KNO/KNA in this case, does not mean TSA is against that group, the KNO/KNA. It also does not mean TSA is for another group that is in conflict with the perpetrating group.

Even if the July 13 Moreh incident of attempted murder of one of our leaders and his family was committed by any militant groups other than the KNO/KNA, TSA would have condemned and fought for justice in the same manner as we do now. We have issued a press release on August 3 regarding our resentment against the UKLF for trying to exert pressure on TSA to be silent on Moreh terror attack and we made it clear that our demand in connection with the incident has nothing to do with any militant groups but for justice.

Interestingly, each time the KNO/KNA issues a media statement of clarification regarding the July 13 Moreh terror attack, the story and the reason changes. KNO/KNA's own self-contradictory media statements on three occasions giving reasons to justify their July 13 Moreh terror attack reflect their own state of confusion and inability to give any logical, let alone justifiable, reasons as to why they carried out the deadly attack.

In their first statement on July 24, while claiming responsibility for the attack, the KNO/KNA indicated that the attack was to punish Thongminlun and TSA, but in the second press release on July 29 it said it was nothing to do with Thongminlun or TSA but an election revenge attack against volunteers of Yanglet Haokip, BJP candidate for Tengnoupal Assembly Constituency in the last Manipur Assembly elections held in March 2017. And in their third press release on August 4, it claimed that it had previously asked the occupants of the houses to vacate.

Despite the attempted justifications, the fact remains that the premeditated attack was an act of criminal and unlawful terror activity perpetrated on innocent and helpless children, women, civilians and a student leader.

Regarding the KNA’s allegation that TSA had remained silent on other incidents of violence by other militant groups, we would like to clarify that TSA has always condemned all serious violent and criminal incidents perpetrated by any groups. In cases that have been taken up by another organisation, as a protocol TSA does not interfere in the cases unnecessarily out of respect.

The recent media releases of TSA regarding July 13 Moreh terror attack was necessitated by the failure of the government to arrest the culprits and bring them to justice till now. The mentioning of the cold blooded murder of a teenage school girl, Nengneingah Khongsai, by KNO/KNA at Moreh on July 23, 2017 was given just as an example, among others, of incidents of the cruelty of KNO/KNA against innocent students and civilians in Moreh context.

As regards KNA's questioning of TSA's legitimacy as a student organisation, we would like to advise that TSA, as a legitimate student body of Thadou tribe community since its inception in 1957, has executed many student-related activities – like organising coaching for IAS/Civil Service and other exams, medical camps, inspection of schools, leadership training, community legal awareness workshops, fight for tribal language teacher recruitment, various campaigns and activities for protection of tribal rights and many other community services for the benefit of students and the community to mention some of them.

Most unfortunately, the KNO/KNA has deviated from its original objective of fighting for freedom of Kuki people. Instead, it has long been engaging in oppressing its own people, particularly Thadou tribe and Thadou organisations and their leaders. KNO/KNA, as an armed revolutionary group with a stated goal of establishing an independent Kuki nation, should desist from engaging in violence and terrorism against student community, innocent children and civilians in the community.

We do not need any further justifications from the KNO/KNA for their unjustifiable serious crime. The government must hold to account PS Haokip, the supreme commander of KNO/KNA and president of KNO, and all of his men involved in the gruesome Moreh terror attack, including Ts Thangboi Haokip alias Thahpi, the alleged leader of the attack and Moreh commander, and arrest them all to bring them to justice according to the law without any further delay.

Sd/-
(T. Chongloi)
Information & Publicity Secretary
TSA Chandel & Tengnoupal