Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, September 04, 2010:
After paying a visit to Mapou village where villagers were allegedly assaulted by a armed militant group on August 31, the United Committee Manipur today expressed strong condemnation to the assault of innocent villagers.
The UCM team led by its vice president Y Nabachandra today visited the Mapou village in Senapati district and holds interaction with the villagers including the village chief and chairman of the village authority.
According to pastor of the church at the village, M Thungmei, around seven to eight armed miscreants suspected to be cadres of a militant group visited the village at about 8.30 of last August 31 and beaten up male villagers after calling out from their respective houses.
Before assaulting them, armed miscreants charged the villagers of passing information about their movement in the area to the security.
The pastor himself was also beaten up, he said.
They also ordered the villagers to leave the village within five days.
Since then villagers are leading a life of fear.
They dislike the attitude of the armed miscreants, the pastor added.
The armed miscreants, however, did not tell to which group the armed militants belongs to, said the Mapou village headman, M Khwangbam who expressed suspicion that they would be KCP(MC).
They also collected around seven mobile phones from the villagers.
In the aftermath of the threats posed to the villagers, two teachers of Nidi Home located in the village and four students had left the village.
After patiently hearing the revelation of the villagers, UCM vice president Y Nabachandra, the committee strongly condemned the act of the armed miscreants.
UCM would not expect such type of atrocities to the villagers meted out by armed groups.
They should not bend their anguish to the villagers when they could not identify the informers.
To order villagers to leave the village is an unfortunate thing which should not be done by the armed undergrounds.
He also exhorted when villagers said that they would held talks with the militants to settle the matter.
The UCM team led by the vice president comprises the general secretary W Seken, secretary (operation) Areng Jetak, secretary (human resources development), NG Deva and assistant secretary (information and public relation), N Jeevan, among others.