UNC on Noney firing, prevailing situation
Source: The Sangai Express
Senapati, January 13 2017:
The United Naga Council (UNC) has accused the Manipur State security forces of resorting to indiscriminate firing at Khumji village near Noney on January 12 and condemned the incident.
In a press statement, UNC stated that the Manipur State security forces were escorting the trucks carrying different commodities from Jiribam to Imphal "defying the democratic agitation launched by the UNC in protest against the declaration of 7 new districts without consulting all stakeholders and the Naga people" .
The UNC statement also stated that in the incident, one Dikhuan Gonmei, s/o Tajinang Gonmei of Changdai village died on the spot and Jackie Kamei, s/o Bathumang Kamei, Tamanglong headquarters and Thuanilung Kamei, teacher of Tent Maker School, Longmai (Noney) and one non local were seriously injured.
According to UNC, Naga people have seen enough bitter experiences of the past activities of "State sponsored terrorism".
To support its claim, UNC cited the May 6, 2010 Mao Gate incident where 2 Naga students were killed.
The UNC also cited the August 31, 2014 incident of Ukhrul where 2 innocent civilians were killed while 'defending the inalienable tribal rights' .
The UNC also cited the incident of August 31, 2015 where 9 innocent civilians were killed in Churachandpur Headquarters while protesting against the passing of three "anti-tribal bills" passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
It then alleged that one Thuanguanglu Kamei was hit by live bullet on her chest on November 28, 2016 at Longmai bazaar in security force firing.
"We urged upon one and all not to repeat such anti-people activities in Indo-Naga Ceasefire covered areas," the Naga body appealed.
The UNC then lamented that the Government of India continues to display indifferent attitude even as the "communal" Government of Manipur continues to carry any activity it wants to .
On the prevailing situation in Manipur, UNC said that all the unwanted incidents could have been avoided had the State Government upheld and honoured the letter and spirit of the 4 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) signed between the Government of Manipur and the Naga people and also the written assurance of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India on the district creation issue.
The Naga body also said that, "Had the Government of Manipur sent its representative to Delhi on November 15, 2016 for a tripartite talk between the Government of India, Government of Manipur and United Naga Council (UNC), the issue might have been resolved by now and all such undesirable consequences would have been averted" .
"Let us all identify together who is creating all these problems in Manipur", UNC statement said.